ShortS
by F91
Summary: Collection of shorts first posted at Animesuki. Features a wide range of characters, from season 1 to Force, and various pairings, from het to yuri to pairingless. Chapter content will be said at the beginning of each.
1. Protector

**Originally posted: 2009-10-24**

**Content: Alisa/Suzuka**

* * *

"Come on, Tsukimura, we should go out sometime. What do you say?"

"I'm sorry. I appreciate your feelings, but I have to decline."

"Why? It's not like you're dating anyone! Let's go, we'll have lots of fun!"

"Um, no, like I said…" It was happening again. Suzuka was never good at handling these persistent types. No matter how many times she politely declined, they would continue to insist on taking her out. Being super popular proved to be quite inconvenient at times. Of course she was flattered by all the attention, but it was still embarrassing.

It certainly didn't help that most of the eyes on her were focused on either her wallet or her chest.

The boy in front of her was currently ogling the latter.

"I'll be sure to show you a good time…" His hand slowly outstretched towards her, causing Suzuka to back away a step. She braced for the contact, silently trying to work up the nerve to shout.

She never got the chance, as another hand shot out and caught the boy's wrist.

"She said no, so back off!" A new voice growled.

"Hey!" The boy cried, trying to pull his hand out of the vice. "Don't get in my way! This has nothing to do with you!"

"The hell it doesn't! Now get lost before I kick the crap out of you!" To punctuate that point, the boy's limb was being forced to bend in a way the joints wouldn't allow under normal circumstances.

"Ow! Ok! Ok! I get it!" As soon as his arm was free, he ran away faster than a long nosed pirate.

"Guys like that are so pathetic…"

"Thank you," Suzuka turned to her saviour. "Alisa-chan. You helped me out again."

"No problem. But really, Suzuka, you need to be more assertive." The blond huffed. "Well, you're definitely a lot better at that then when we were kids, but still. Sometimes guys won't take no for an answer unless you really drive it in."

"I try, but it's not that easy…" A smile grace Suzuka's lips. "I'm glad I have Alisa-chan here to protect me."

"Of course." Alisa grinned. "I've always got your back. You'd save yourself a lot of trouble if you just picked a boyfriend, though. I'm sure not all the guys who ask you out are like that one."

"Well… some of them were really nice, but…" Suzuka glanced away. "I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I… I'm happy just as long as Alisa-chan is by my side."

It took a moment for that to sink into Alisa's brain. When it did, her face could have stopped traffic. "D-Don't worry! W-We've been together for so long now… I have no intention of leaving you anytime soon!"

Suzuka just silently beamed at the flustered girl for a few moments before grabbing the foreigner's hand.

"W-What are you…?"

"Being more assertive." Suzuka glanced at her watch. "If we don't hurry, we'll be late for class."

"O-Oh, right. Yeah, let's go."

"…"

"…"

"… Alisa-chan is a lot cooler than all the boys anyways."

"Yeah, I… Oi! Is that supposed to be a compliment?!"

* * *

Before I said I wanted to do something Suzuka related, so here it is!


	2. Harem Ending

**Originally posted: 2009-10-28**

**Content: Yuuno harem**

* * *

"Ne~ Yuuno-kun." Hayate purred as she hung on his back. "It's my turn tonight, right?"

"Mou, Hayate-chan!" Nanoha protested from her place at Yuuno's arm. "It was your turn last night!"

"Now now you two." Fate said, keeping a light grip on Yuuno's coat. "We all promised not to fight, remember? Um… besides… It hasn't been my turn in awhile…"

"Ladies, ladies, don't argue." Yuuno chided. "All three of you can have a turn tonight!"

* * *

Something I wrote based off that one pimpin' image of Yuuno where he has all the girls clinging to him.


	3. Whispers in the Wind

**Originally posted: 2009-10-28**

**Content: Yuunoha tragedy**

* * *

"I love you, Nanoha, as more than just a friend."

"Eh?" Nanoha's body was rocked by the wind that blew past following his confession. The sudden revelation had caught her completely off guard. Yuuno was one of her best friends and she had known him since they were kids, but the possibility had never crossed her mind that he was in love with her. The shock had rendered her unable to formulate a reply.

"You don't have to give me an answer right away." He said. "I'll be gone for a while on a dig, but I hope to hear your answer when I get back."

By the time she had processed everything, he had already left. She then spent days examining her feelings for the boy. She did care about him deeply and wanted him to remain a constant figure in her life, but she couldn't decide if she could go beyond friendship or not. She took her time deciphering her emotions, hoping to have an answer for him upon his return.

But he never came back.

The temple was over a million years old, they said. The pillars couldn't support the ceiling anymore, they said. Yuuno was too busy teleporting the others out to save himself, they said. DNA testing confirmed his pummelled body, they said. We're so sorry for your loss, they said. He wouldn't want you to be sad, they said.

What they said offered no condolence. Nothing could stop the tears as Nanoha stared at his grave.

"I finally have an answer for you, Yuuno-kun." She whispered into the breeze. "I love you too."

* * *

AS wanted some more tragedy, so I gave them some tragedy. Accompanying it was an image of Nanoha standing there with a surprised look on her face with Yuuno's back to the viewer. I based the first scene off of it.


	4. Warm Reception

**Originally posted: 2009-10-28**

**Content: Yuunoha**

* * *

Nanoha waited eagerly in front of the exit gate. Yuuno had been off at an archaeological dig site for almost four months, but he was finally getting back. A lot had happened during the months he was gone, and she was looking forward to telling him all about it.

Kyouya was expecting yet another baby, but that probably wouldn't be too surprising. Those two seemed to have babies on a yearly basis.

Miyuki had finally mastered a new type of cake and was getting everyone she knew to try it. It was delicious and Nanoha knew Yuuno would love it.

Shiro's soccer team went through their entire season without a single defeat and easily secured the championship.

Hayate finished the renovations of her and the Wolkenritter's home. The officer's sense of style now permeated the building, making it a real sight to see.

Fate had cracked a huge case, taking down an entire ring of Lost Logia smugglers. The long hours of investigating had created a case so solid that the leader could never buy his way out of it.

There was so much news Nanoha had to share, so many things she wanted to talk to him about, but she already knew the first thing she was going to do when she saw him.

"Nanoha!" He greeted as he left the gate. "It's been a…"

He didn't get to finish before she ran to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her mouth to his.

"Welcome back, Yuuno-kun!"

* * *

Another short that went with an image. This time it was for the final scene that has Nanoha jumping, hugging, and kissing him. It's my favourite image of the pair :3


	5. Halloween Night

**Originally posted: 2009-10-29**

**Content: Vivio and the 3 Aces on Halloween**

* * *

Nanoha and Fate waited outside of the door to Vivio's room. Their daughter was currently changing into her halloween costume and wanted to surprise her mamas.

Hayate was assisting Vivio in her endeavour, because when it came to costumes, who else were you gonna call?

"All set!" Hayate announced when she opened the door. "Now for the grand unveiling!"

Vivio stepped into the doorway, towering over the older woman. She was in Adult Form, and currently donned a familiar white and blue dress.

"I'm Nanoha-mama!" She declared, holding up a paper mache replica of Raising Heart.

Nanoha was touched beyond words, and Fate nodded her approval.

"You look just like her!" She commented. "Amazing job as always, Hayate."

Hayate nodded as she reviewed her work, but she wore a frown. "Yeah, the barrier jacket and Raising Heart look great, but... something is off..." She hummed thoughtfully as she circled the trick-or-treater. When she arrived at the front, she had her enlightenment. She reached out and grabbed the girl's chest.

"Kyaa!"

"I thought so." Hayate mused. "These are way too big to be Nanoha-chan."

"Hayate-chan!!!"

* * *

Obviously something I wrote for Halloween XD

Also, yes, of course I know what yaoi is.


	6. The Most Common Super Power

**Originally posted: 2009-11-16**

**Content: Nanoha being dense**

* * *

"I'm tired of everyone making fun of my chest." Nanoha fumed. "Sure, they might not be as big as Suzuka-chan's, but they're still nice! Don't you think so, Yuuno-kun?"

"Uh, yeah…" He desperately tried to maintain eye contact, but found it becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Like most boys his age, Yuuno had a certain interest in that area, particularly the set that belonged to the girl he liked. "I think they're fine."

"That's what I keep saying, but… I wonder if I could make them bigger some how…"

"Well…" Unable to suppress his hormones any longer, Yuuno let his gaze fall to the objects of his fantasies. "I heard that having some one rub them will make them bigger."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I read it in a book… so…" He gulped. "If you don't mind, I'd…"

"Thanks Yuuno-kun!" Nanoha brightened. "I knew I could count on you! I'll go ask Hayate-chan since she seems to be into that kind of thing. See you later!" And with that she ran off.

Yuuno stood in silence a moment before he slammed his head against the wall.

* * *

This was based off the bust rankings in the A's epilouge. Nanoha's size has increased quite a bit by StrikerS.


	7. Piggyback

**Originally posted: 2010-01-07**

**Content: Isis shenanigans**

* * *

Isis studied the pair who walked infront of her. As usual, Lily was riding on Touma's back and he walked on, seemingly unpertrubed. Sure, Lily's legs were apparently not functioning properly, but Isis still felt the preferential treatment was obvious. She tapped her fist on her upturned palm when she got an idea.

"Hey Touma, could you put Lily down for a second?"

"Huh?" Touma and Lily both blinked. "Why?"

"Just do it!" Isis insisted, tugging on his sleeve slightly.

With a shrug, Touma set the long haired girl down on a patch of grass. "If you wanted to rest you could have just said so..."

"That's not it." Isis dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Now pick her up again."

"..." The boy looked at the merchant incredulously. "I don't get you. I just..." He bent to allow Lily onto his back again, but Isis stopped him.

"Not like that! Put one arm under her legs and one on her back!" She instructed.

Giving up on questioning the girl, Touma did as he was instructed and lifted Lily up in a princess carry.

"Anything else I can do for you today, miss?" He asked Isis sarcastically.

"Turn around." Isis grinned as Touma did so.

"Ok, now wha... GAH!" He grunted as he felt something collide with his back. Directly afterwards arms circled his neck and legs wrapped around his waist.

"Now you can carry both of us!" Isis cheered.

"Hey! What am I, a pack mule?!" Touma cried.

Lily smiled at her companions, grateful she had met such wonderful people.

* * *

Wrote this right after Nanya did his Forced Omake. He claimed first use of Force characters so I claimed the second use, but then it turned out TheShinySword had used them already ^^" Oh well, make this the third use of Force characters in a fanfic!

This scene was based off part of one chapter that had Isis asking Touma to carry her too.


	8. Those Two Guys

**Originally posted: 2010-01-11**

**Content: Corona and Rio**

* * *

"Then I punched the guy through the wall!" Rio declared, pumping her first into the air. "And that's how I foiled the assassination attempt on the Cardarian ambassador!"

"Wow, Rio!" Corona beamed in awe. "That's even more impressive than the time I solved the black hole information paradox!"

"Hehe!" Rio grinned. "Well that was nothing to scoff at either. Hey Vivio, what do you..."

"So this is your device, eh Vivio?" Nove commented.

"Yup! It's called Sacred Heart, or Kris for short!" Vivio answered.

"Awww, it's so cute!" Wendi giggled, poking the stuffed bunny. "You've got the most huggable device around!"

"I know!" Vivio threw her arms out "I love it a lot!"

Rio and Corona glanced at each other and shrugged. They were used to it by now.

* * *

I have a tendency to like side characters more than the main ones, so in Vivid I like Corona and Rio the most (Corona moreso. She's my precious :D). Of course side characters always get over shadowed by the main characters, which is the idea here. Not even the amazing feat of a side character can compare to the cuteness of the main character's partner.

Of course in recent chapters both Corona and Rio have gotten some spotlight and have revealed unqiue abilities of their own, so I've been extremely happy :)


	9. Boo

**Originally posted: 2010-01-26**

**Content: Alicia and Precia**

* * *

Alicia sat in the darkened living room with only the light from the television flickering across her face. She was entranced by the film on the screen, unconciously holding her breath as the protagonist slowly opened the the door to the castle basement. She hoped he would be ok...

As the music slowly reached its crescendo, a shadow loomed over everything when suddenly Alicia felt a pressure on her shoulders. Stiffening, she slowly craned her neck upwards where she saw a white mass towering over her.

"Boo!"

"Kyaa!" Alicia squealed. "Mom, that's so lame!"

"No good huh?" Precia pulled the white bed sheet off and smiled wryly at her daughter. "I thought I could scare you."

"Well, you scared Linith!" Alicia said, pointing to the cat that was peeking out from behind the couch.

"Looks like I did." Precia laughed. "Anyways, it's time for us to go to bed. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"I'm really looking forward to seeing your experiment!" Alicia beamed. "It'll be the first time you ever took me to work!"

Precia smiled as she bent down and picked up her daughter. "Yes, I'm sure it'll be a day to remember."

* * *

Some one wanted a horror story involving Precia's ghost, and her wearing a sheet was the first image that came to mind ^^" I do intend to write a more serious horror story for one of my other fics, though.


	10. Finally!

**Originally posted: 2010-03-05**

**Content: Chrono/Amy**

* * *

"I'm done with all the paper work." Amy huffed as she hefted a large stack of papers onto Chrono's desk.

"Good work." He said idly, flipping the page in the book he was leisurely reading.

"Well you look busy." Amy noted sarcastically. "You could have helped me with this, you know."

"I suppose I could have, but you're my aide so I figured I could leave all the dull stuff to you."

"Is that so?" Amy propped herself up against the desk. "I guess that's why you keep me around, then?"

"Of course. What other reason could there be?" Chrono confirmed dryly.

"Ahhh…" Amy let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Chrono-kun has become so lazy."

"After putting up with you for so many years, I think I'm entitled to take it easy." He said, not taking his eyes from his book.

"Oh?" Amy smirked. "Who was it that begged me to be their aide as soon as we graduated from the academy?"

"… I didn't beg." He barely huffed as he snapped his book shut.

"You were so cute back then." Amy continued to tease. "But just because you grew a little, your voice deepened and you rose a few ranks, you let it all get to your head."

"Really?" Chrono stood up and walked to stand in front of her. "Sounds like you're just bitter that I'm taller than you now."

"You think?" Amy moved her weight off the desk and stood straight, but that still didn't prevent Chrono from literally looking down on her. "You shouldn't put too much emphasis on superficial things, you know."

"And you should stop talking to me like I'm a kid." He countered. "You're only two years older than me."

"Hm, but Chrono-kun is still a kid." She smirked again, moving closer and lightly jabbing his chest with her finger. "I sure haven't seen you do anything a man would."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. How about something bold, daring, assertive or spontaneous?"

"Like what?"

"Tsk tsk." Amy clucked her tongue and wagged her finger. "If I told you that it would defeat the purpose."

"Something bold, daring, assertive or spontaneous, huh?" Chrono repeated as he stepped forward.

"That's right."

"How about this then?" Firmly gripping her shoulders, Chrono reeled her in and crushed his lips onto hers. She immediately pushed back with equal force, their mouths seemingly fighting for superiority with the sound of the struggle filling the room.

"Well?" Chrono panted slightly when they parted.

Amy gingerly threaded her fingers behind his neck before smiling.

"Took you long enough."

* * *

This one's for Nanya. He wanted some Chrono/Amy, and when my friend wants Chrono/Amy, my friend gets Chrono/Amy! :D


	11. The New Guy

**Originally posted: 2010-04-15**

**Content: A new face at Riot Force 6**

* * *

"Ok Forwards, line up!" Nanoha called to her students who currently were making use of the training field. They all stopped their exercising in fell in promptly.

"We have some one very special joining us today." Fate explained to the young ones. "He'll be helping us out here at Riot Force 6 from now on."

"He's making time in his busy schedule just for us so be sure to show him the proper respect." Nanoha added before turning to the side and calling for some one. "Lieutenant Maliboo!"

"Did you say Lieutenant Maliboo?" Teana gasped.

"THE Lieutenant Maliboo?!" Subaru's mouth dropped.

"Is it really him?!" Caro hopped excitedly.

"Him?" Erio gaped.

"You know him?" Fate asked curiously.

"I heard he took down an army of gadget drones single handily!" Teana said.

"I heard he doesn't use any magic and relies only on his bare hands!" Subaru stated.

"I heard he can tame even the most savage of summons with a single glance!" Caro chirped.

"I heard he was a chicken." Erio voiced flatly.

"Erio! It's rude to say that about people!" Fate scolded her ward.

"But Fate-san, he's a chicken I tell you! A giant chicken!" Erio insisted.

"How can you say that about some one who's bravely charged into a strong AMF with no backup to take on several combat cyborgs?!" Teana berated.

"No way is he cowardly!" Subaru objected.

"… I'm disappointed in you, Erio-kun." Caro frowned.

Erio opened his mouth to speak again but Nanoha interrupted him.

"Settle down you four." She said. "Allow me to introduce you to Lieutenant Maliboo!" Nanoha gestured to the uniformed clad figure next to her.

"… Just look at that posture…" Teana whispered. "He looks so gallant."

"Yeah, he looks so strong and capable." Subaru whispered back.

"… He's so dreamy!" Caro sighed happily.

Erio tried to speak but glares from the girls caused him to only grumble slightly.

"Ok then Lieutenant," Nanoha went on. "We'll have a battle between the two of us just to show my students what you can do."

Maliboo said nothing and just looked around as if not caring. As Nanoha looked at him, she felt her face flush.

"And after that, how about I treat you to dinner as thanks?" She said in a hushed tone. "And after that…"

"Nanoha!" Fate gawked. "I was going to invite the Lieutenant to spend the evening with me!"

"Nyaha, first come first served Fate-chan!" Nanoha stuck out her tongue. "Let's begin, shall we Lieutenant?"

The Lieutenant didn't make any indication of agreement, yet he moved deeper into the training field anyways. Nanoha followed him with a skip in her step and soon they were in position.

"I don't think holding back will be necessary," Nanoha said as she prepared herself. "So let's go all out, full power!"

Maliboo just cocked his head to the side and looked at her blankly.

"Here we go! Divine…" Nanoha aimed Raising Heart as pink energy began to gather. "Buster!" The beam shot towards its target, exploding and kicking up dust as it made contact.

It also created a blast of wind, and all those present looked on curiously as said wind was carrying what looked like a tattered Bureau uniform…

They then looked at where Lieutenant Maliboo was standing and when the dust cleared they saw he was still standing there. He scratched at the ground with his three pronged claws, and ruffled his feathers, causing his comb and wattle to swing back and forth.

"… Buck buck bu-gok!"

"…He's a chicken!" Fate gasped.

"Lieutenant Maliboo is a giant chicken!" Teana verified.

"I told you that guy was a chicken!" Erio proclaimed, pointing a finger and the large fowl.

"Bu-gok?"

"… Toy with my heart like that will you?" Nanoha rumbled with rage. "Starlight…"

"Buck buck?"

"BREAKER!!!"

"BU-GOOOOK!" The enormous blast enveloped the poultry before erupting, sending the farm animal high into the sky and away from the base.

He finally landed many miles off, got to his feet, and continued on his way.

_You wear a disguise to look like human guys but you're not a man, you're a Chicken Boo!_

* * *

Oh man the nostalgia! I got hit with it big time which prompted me to write this. For those who don't know, there was this awesome cartoon called Animaniacs and Chicken Boo was a character on that show. You can find his segments easily enough on youtube.


	12. All That Matters

**Originally posted: 2010-04-16**

**Content: Vivio/Einhart**

* * *

Einhart deftly tilted her head to the left, narrowly avoiding the fist that slightly grazed her ear. She could feel the wind caused by the blow cooling her sweat soaked cheek before she counterattacked with a kick.

Vivio jumped away from her opponent, making the kick slice through empty air. She sprung forward and tried for another punch while Einhart was off balance, but the older girl crossed her arms in front of her face, absorbing the damage. Using an arm to swat away Vivio's fist, Einhart's other arm shot forward with a swift straight.

Vivio managed to tilt backwards out of her senior's reach; only drops of perspiration flung off the other girl's skin made contact with her.

After frequent sparring sessions, the two children seemed to always fall into the same patterns. They knew each other well enough now, were accustomed to the other's movements to be able to anticipate their blows and even pick out the tiniest indications of their moods from the stances they took.

Perhaps such familiarity was inevitable, but most thought it ran deeper than that. It was as if they had known each other their entire lives, rather than just the short year they had been friends. The pure feeling of nostalgia they felt as they traded blows, the invigorating feeling in their chests that only occurred when they faced off against each other, the way their movements flowed so gracefully together…

Yes, they didn't fight, they danced. Together they were dancing in the empty training hall, performing magnificent movements they could only pull off together, like two dedicated partners who spent years perfecting their craft in concert.

Maybe it was to be expected considering their origins, but at present such a thought did not even cross their minds. All they knew is that they were enjoying their time together because they were together. Their feelings were their own, had become their own, and nothing would change that.

Only because Vivio was with Einhart, and Einhart was with Vivio, were they able to experience this happiness.

Vivio struck out with a roundhouse kick which Einhart quickly ducked under. Even if they had become familiar with each other, Einhart was still the more experienced one and was eventually able to gain the upper hand each time. Using the opening, Einhart sprung up, pushing on Vivio's extended leg and sending the young girl to the mat.

However on the way down Vivio's hand reached out, taking Einhart by the collar of her shirt. Letting out a little yelp, Einhart was pulled down as well, landing with a muted thud.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring directly into Vivio's red and green ones.

"Einhart-san is so rough as always." Vivio huffed.

"I'm sorry." Einhart breathed softly, realising her face was hovering inches away from the other girl's. She moved to get off, but Vivio still had a firm grasp of her shirt.

"It's not over yet!" Vivio insisted much to Einhart's confusion. No matter how one looked at it, the outcome had been decided.

"I have you pinned down, Vivio-san. I do believe victory is mine." She said, moving her hands to Vivio's shoulders and preventing her from squirming.

"Don't be so sure, Einhart-san." Vivio grinned. "I just need to break free."

"And how do you propose to do tha…" Einhart was silenced when Vivio pulled the older girl down closer, causing their lips to meet. One purple and one blue eye widened in surprise as Vivio pushed her face up further. Einhart's mind began to swim and before she knew it she was on her back with the blond on top of her, grinning down triumphantly.

"I won." She said.

"… That wasn't fair." Einhart protested weakly, causing Vivio's grin to widen.

"I know you liked it, Einhart-san."

"… I cannot deny that…" The older girl whispered.

"Then I'll do it again." Vivio whispered back as she brought her face down, connecting their lips once more. This time Einhart returned the kiss, gingerly placing her hands on the blonde's hips in the process.

Ancestries, genetic memory, past lives, none of those things were relevant. Vivio Takamachi wanted to be with Einhart Stratos, Einhart Stratos wanted to be with Vivio Takamachi and that's all that matters.

* * *

**Extra:**

"There it is, Einhart-san!" Vivio pointed proudly to the grand display in the Saint Church. Shown there was the fabled Shroud of the Saint King which had been recovered from Scaglietti several years ago. "See that blood stain? That's where my base DNA came from."

Knowing full well before hand Vivio's unnatural entry into the world, that particular piece of information was really of no consequence. It wouldn't change the way Einhart felt about the younger girl.

However, looking at the piece of cloth before her stirred her ancestor's memories, the recollection of which made the girl cover her face with her hand to hide a blush.

"Hm? What's wrong, Einhart-san?" Vivio tilted her head.

"… I can't believe people are worshipping the bed sheet from that first night…" She muttered.

* * *

This short is dedicated to Satashi. She's been really good to me so I wanted to do something for her and this fic was the result. She, along with several others, are always there to support me, even when others call me a troll and want to get rid of me. I'm grateful to all of them for that.

So again: Satashi, this one's for you, a great writer and a great friend!


	13. Black

**Originally posted: 2010-04-30**

**Content: Fate's underwear**

* * *

"Aaah, it's great to be able to clock out early, isn't it?" Shari grinned as she stretched, her hand meeting the ceiling of Fate's car.

"It's nice once in awhile." Fate agreed while keeping her eyes on the road.

"Since we have some time before we need to report back to HQ, do you mind if we stop somewhere?"

"Did you need something?" Fate asked her aid. Certainly Hayate didn't need them back at the base for another hour or so, providing them with ample time.

"Yeah, I want to pick up some new clothes." Shari nodded. "I was fooling around with some machines the other night and I got oil all over the place."

Fate smiled. That sounded like Shari all right.

"Okay, any particular store you want to go to?"

"Yup. Take a right here and then…"

Fate followed the directions and after finding a parking spot the pair went into the store. It was a medium sized establishment that specialized solely in female attire. Fate hadn't been there before, but apparently Shari had, as the brunette quickly walked off to the area containing what she wanted to purchase.

The enforcer just followed, not particularly in need of new clothes. Her eyes wandered between the frilly dresses and the selection of swimsuits without so much as a thought, but then something caught her eye. Making her way over to the item, she took hold of the hanger and studied it more closely.

"Hm, that looks sexy."

Fate jumped when she heard her aide's voice. She turned to the younger girl who was now carrying a package of plain white shirts.

"Y-Yeah, it's nice." Fate recovered, returning her eyes to the set of black bra and panties she was holding. Both pieces were lined with modest frills and had purple bows decorating them in several locations. "I'm thinking of buying it."

"Really?" Shari arched an eyebrow, but then looked up thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, most of your underwear is black, isn't it?"

"That's right." Fate nodded, but then looked confused as Shari gave her a Cheshire grin. "What?"

"Oh nothing," Shari said innocently. "I just remembered that you don't buy black lingerie unless you want someone to see it."

"Don't be silly, Shari!" Fate laughed softly, averting her gaze. "It's not like that! I just like the colour, that's all."

"Uh huh…" Shari continued grinning, clearly not convinced.

Later that evening, when the day's duties were over, Fate made her away back to the room she shared with Nanoha.

"Hey Fate-chan!" Nanoha, already in bed, greeted. "How was your day?"

"Pretty good." Fate replied, shedding her uniform jacket and hanging it up. She then worked at the buttons on her shirt. "How were the Forwards today?"

"They're doing just great." The instructor smiled proudly. "Their improvement is very noticeable."

"Is that so…" Fate mused, losing the white shirt. Turning away from her friend, the blond then looked over her shoulder before slowly pulling up her undershirt. "It's because they have such a great teacher."

"Nyaha, my teaching would be meaningless if they weren't great students."

Getting the undershirt over her head, Fate kept looking forward, trying to act as natural as possible. Undoing her skirt, she let it fall down her legs. Going to her pantyhose next, she hooked her thumbs in them and slowly wiggled her butt as she pulled the nylon down. Bending over sultrily until her rear was high in the air, she stepped out of the last of her outwear.

Now only clad in the black bra and panties she had bought during the day, Fate righted herself and placed both of her hands on the back of her head. She turned around and stuck her chest out as far as possible.

"Hey, Nanoha, what do you think…"

"Goodnight, Fate-chan." Nanoha yawned, having turned away and snuggled into her covers minutes ago.

Fate let out a long sigh as she deflated like a balloon.

* * *

I had the idea for this for the longest time, but never really did anything with it until recently. That line from 10 Things I Hate About You about the black underwear always stuck with me for some reason, so seeing as how Fate wears black underwear in StrikerS got the gears turning. If you wear black to show it off, maybe Fate wears it for Nanoha to see when they get back to their room. Of course Nanoha being Nanoha is as dense as always so it flies right over her head. Poor Fate ^^"


	14. Westermarck's Folly

**Originally posted: 2010-05-02**

**Content: Chrono/Fate**

* * *

When I first met her, I viewed her as just another criminal. She was some one who broke the law and was collecting dangerous items for an unknown end. But soon I spent more time with her and really got to know her. Eventually she became part of my family.

How else could I describe her besides angelic? She was so caring, polite, courteous, gentle, sweet, charming. You get the picture. She truly was precious and her adorable smile set my heart aflutter.

And that was a problem.

At some point I was unable to take my eyes off of her, unable to get thoughts of her out of my mind. It was utterly ridiculous of me to feel that way. For crying out loud she was my sister! Ok, not my blood related sister, but she was also five years younger than me. She was still just a child! Of course my father was five years older than my mother and…

Gah!

However I tried to justify it, the fact still remained: I had fallen in love with her when I shouldn't have. She always looked up to me with respect and adoration for her big brother, yet I couldn't meet that gaze. She was so innocent and pure and here I was thinking such thoughts.

I tried to bury my feelings as much as I could, but I also couldn't stand that look of hurt on her face when I acted coldly towards her. It really was one of those lose-lose situations.

Eventually I tried to redirect my feelings, so I started dating Amy and eventually we married. I really do like Amy and I tried to make myself love her, but it was just no good. When she filed for divorce, I really couldn't blame her. She didn't want to live a lie anymore.

That's just what I deserved, so I just watched her leave with our children.

Of course a good little sister just had to comfort her precious older brother after something like that, didn't she? What a nice girl… no, at this point she was a very nice woman, and a fine one that that. She had grown to be quite voluptuous and that only served to increase my desire for her, eventually becoming the straw that broke Amy.

She attempted to embrace me, to say everything was all right, but I pushed her away. In the state I was in, I didn't know if I would finally snap and give in or not. She's a persistent one when she knows something's wrong, so she didn't let up.

I just gave up at that point. I figured I should just come clean and admit it. Maybe the truth would horrify her and make her go away? Most of my life was ruined at that point anyways, so I might as well ruin the rest of it.

And so I told her. I told her that she was the one I had desired all along and everything had just been a façade. I turned my back on her, not wanting to see a disgusted expression on her face, but then something surprised me.

I felt her arms circle around me and her face bury itself into my back. Before I could formulate a question, she blurted out that she felt the same way. She confessed that somewhere along the way her adoration for me had evolved into love, but she didn't act on it because we were supposed to be siblings and I already had Amy. She tried her hardest to let go of her feelings but she just couldn't do that.

I asked if she was serious, and when she reaffirmed that she was, I had to resist the urge to jump for joy. Instead I tried to keep my cool, but I'm not sure if she bought it or not. Well, in the end I still managed to tell her something I had been holding back for so many years. I wanted her to be mine and she happily accepted.

… But how are we going to explain this to mom?

* * *

This one came as a challenge from Alavon. She wanted some Chrono/Fate under 500 words and I delivered. Well I failed the second part by going over, though ^^" Thankfully she withdrew the length requirement before I finished it. She's good to me like that :)


	15. At the End of the Road

**Originally posted: 2010-05-12**

**Content: Mayfly Signum**

* * *

"Excuse me, sir?"

An elderly gentleman turned his wheelchair around at the call and gave the nurse a wrinkled smile.

"Yes my dear?" He asked sweetly.

"Your wife is here to see you." The nurse said as she bowed away politely. The man arched a greyed eyebrow at the announcement.

"Really? But she should be…" He trailed off as another woman entered. Her pony tail tied pink hair was unmistakable.

"Yo." She greeted softly.

"Signum!" The man beamed. "I thought your mission was supposed to go another month."

"The matter was resolved ahead of schedule." She replied. "So I came to see you."

"Glad you could spare some time for your crotchety old husband." He chuckled. "Let's not spend it in this stuffy room, let's go for a walk."

"Sure." Signum moved behind the wheelchair and began pushing him through the care center. "I apologise again for having to send you here whenever I go on a long mission. But at least this way I do not have to worry about you being properly cared for."

"Ah, I don't mind it." He waved it off as they entered the courtyard. The space was a luscious green with a carpet of healthy grass and shady trees. Other residents were about, either sitting on one of the many benches or strolling along the stone paths. "This place isn't so bad."

"I am glad to hear it." They finally arrived at an empty viewing platform that overlooked the city the care center was located in. Signum took her place at his side.

"Plus," He chuckled again. "It's great seeing the jealous looks of the other geezers when I brag about my hot young wife."

"Young?" Signum smirked. "Technically I'm significantly older than you."

"Don't I know it." He grinned. "I was just a snot nosed kid when I met you, wasn't I? It's been so long since then."

"… Did you ever take issue with the fact that you continued to age while I remained the same?" Signum asked a bit solemnly.

"Honey, we've been over this before." He sighed. "That really doesn't matter to me. If anything, I'd say it was a perk! Getting all that Viagra was a great investment, wasn't it?"

Signum gave a quick laugh, seeing that twinkle in his eye. "Aging is about the only thing that's changed about you."

"My God-like skills never got rusty, that's for sure. But you already knew that!"

"Indeed." Signum blushed faintly. There never was a lull in their sex life.

"Anyways, I think the real question is why don't you ditch me and get yourself a new, more youthful husband? Definitely wouldn't be too difficult for you."

"Out of the question." Signum replied immediately. "When we were wed I made a vow and I will not break it."

"Knight's honour, eh?"

"But beyond that," She continued. "My love for you has not changed. You were the one to introduce that emotion to me, taught me to value and treasure it, taught me its sorrows and its joys. I have never cared for some one as I care for you."

"I'm glad." He smiled softly. "Same goes for me. My love for you has not changed."

They watched the horizon in silence after that until finally the question that hung in the air was asked.

"How long does she have left?"

Signum looked over sadly at her husband. "They aren't sure. A few days, maybe only a few hours."

"I see." He whispered. "That mistress of yours has always been tenacious. I'm impressed she's lasted as long as she has."

"I believe it was her desire for us to be able to live our own lives as long as possible," Signum explained. "Since once she dies, we will disappear as well."

"It's kind of funny, isn't it? I'm the one who's old but you'll be leaving first…"

"I'm sorry…" She whispered, kneeling down and placing her head against his chest.

"No, it's nothing to apologise about." He said as he gently stroked her hair. "We had a good run, didn't we?"

"Yes, I feel honoured to have been granted the privilege of being your wife."

"There may have been complications, but looking back on our time together I regret nothing."

"Nor do I."

"I love you, Signum."

"I love you too."

They silently held each other as the minutes ticked past. Both of them wanted the moment to last an eternity, but they knew it was not meant to be.

"… You should go." He finally said.

"What?" Signum looked up in surprise, her reserved personality downplaying the shock.

"I know you want to be with her during the final moments, so go. At the very end, you should be with your family."

Signum had been torn over who she should be with in her last moment, and she was thankful her husband had picked up on that. He was so good at understanding her.

"… Thank you." She whispered, sofly pressing her lips against his before getting to her feet.

"Don't mention it."

"Farewell." Signum said wistfully as she walked away.

"Good-bye." His voice cracked ever so slightly as he listened to his wife's footsteps fade away.

He remained there for the rest of the day, simply watching the view. When the sun started sinking behind the horizon, the nurse came for him.

"Sir, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but… We've just been informed that your wife…" She stopped when she reached him, his peaceful expression telling her everything she needed to know.

"I see," She smiled sadly. "So you've already gone to her side."

* * *

There are two main problems with the Wolkenritter having relationships: they don't age, and their life span is tied to Hayate's, so if something happened to her it would be over. I wanted to showcase those two problems here. As for who Signum's husband was, the initial idea was for him to be Vice, but that would mean it needed to go into Sexy as Sin. I wanted to post this here in ShortS, and also keep the SaS 'canon' of Teana/Vice in tact, so I never mention her husband by name. He's whoever you want him to be. He can even be _you_! *Points dramatically*

Anyways, this fic is dedicated to hignum, some one who I always see around. He's always leaving reviews and letting his love for Signum be known to all, and he eventually made a strong impression on me. I've been considering doing something for him for awhile and I finally got around to it. Thanks for all the support, hignum! This just goes to show the value of reviewing. Authors do hear your voice and are grateful for the support. They might even do something for you in return (it helps if your tastes are extremely obvious ^^").

So if there's something you'd like to see me write, drop a review and suggest it. I can't promise I'll actually use your idea, but you never know :) Or if you'd rather, there's a poll on my profile where you can vote on which of my other fics you'd like updated first.

Finally, I am all caught up with the shorts I had posted at Animesuki. So don't be surprised if this goes inactive for awhile while I write more stuff. Until next time!


	16. PDA

**Originally posted: 2010-05-17**

**Content: Lutecia/Erio**

* * *

"Aaaah, that was a great bath!" Lutecia declared as she entered the kitchen.

"Welcome back, dear." Her mother greeted. "Where are the others?"

"Probably still there." Lutecia said. "I just got out early. I wanted to see if I could help with anything."

"No, we're fine here." Megane smiled. "Erio-kun has been a great help."

"Really?" Lutecia turned to the boy who was stirring a pot on the stove. "Thanks, Erio."

"It was nothing." He replied dismissively.

"Well then I guess your reward will be seeing me in all my just-got-out-of-the-bath glory!" Lutecia teased while striking a pose.

"Er… Thanks, I guess." Erio chuckled sheepishly.

"What kind of reaction is that?" The summoner puffed.

"Now, now!" Megane laughed. "Why don't you two kids go and get the others from the baths? Dinner will be ready shortly."

"Ok!" Lutecia nodded. "Let's go, Erio."

"Me too? But…"

"Oh I'll be fine on my own for the rest of it." Megane assured him. "Go on now."

Being attacked from both ends, Erio didn't have much of a choice in the matter. He complied and followed his friend out into the night air.

"So how do you like things so far?" Lutecia asked as they made their way towards the bath.

"It's been great." He smiled. "As expected of Lu, you really went all out."

"Hehe," Lutecia puffed out her chest as if to say 'praise me more' before continuing. "I'm really glad you could come. I know how busy it can get on the preserve."

"We just had to file the proper paper work and our leave was approved pretty much straight away." He shrugged. "The rest of our department is more than capable of handling things without us."

"It's always a lot of fun when you get to come." She smiled. "Garyuu and the others just love hanging out with you."

"Garyuu has always been a great sparring partner." He grinned. "I love hanging out with him, your mom, and you too of course."

"I'll bet." Lutecia smirked. "Especially at times like these when you're the only human male amongst a huge groups of cute girls."

Erio laughed awkwardly at that. "I guess I am the only guy here, aren't I?"

"So? Which one are you after?"

"Huh?" Erio balked. "What are you… I'm not…"

"Come on Erio, you're a teenaged boy surrounded by girls!" She jabbed his chest with her finger. "One has to strike your fancy."

"Er… well…" His face darkened and he looked away.

"I bet you imagined what it would be like to have joined us in the bath, didn't you?" She continued prodding with a smirk. "So, who did you want to ogle the most?"

"Lu…" He almost pleaded her to stop. If anymore blood rushed to his face it might cause him to faint.

"You know I won't stop bugging until you tell me." She stuck out her tongue. "Hm, you always act so friendly with Subaru, and I know how much you admire Fate-san, or is it the obvious choice, Caro the midget?"

"Lu…"

"Or…" Lutecia reeled back in mock shock. "You're not into Vivio and her friends, are you?"

"No!" He gawked at the implication. "Of course not!" He then sighed in defeat. "Fine I'll tell you… The kind of girl I like is one who's always full of energy and is cheerful no matter what. She's the kind of girl who looks after others and you always have fun around her…"

"Hmm…" Lutecia hummed thoughtfully as she hopped onto a nearby rock. She turned to meet his eyes. "So it is Caro after all."

"No, Caro is like a sister to me, I…"

"I know that." She smirked. "If I didn't, then I would never do this!" Lutecia surprised the boy by grabbing his shoulders and pulling him towards her. Their heights were equalized by the rock, so she had no trouble pressing her lips against his.

Erio's eyes bulged while Lutecia closed hers until she broke away from the kiss.

"How was that?" She asked.

"Wha… wha…" He stammered.

"You're so cute when you're flustered." She smiled before moving her gaze beyond his shoulder. Erio slowly turned to see where she was looking. Behind him stood the crowd of girls that were walking back from the bath, all of them with either stars in their eyes or blushes on their faces.

"WHA!" Erio jumped away. "How long have you all been there?"

"Right around when it was mentioned how friendly you are with me." Subaru grinned.

"Way to go, m'lady!" Sein whooped.

"Wow, Lu-chan is so bold!" Vivio beamed.

"You better treat her right, Erio." Nove warned.

"Who's a midget?" Caro huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "Just you wait! In a few years I'll have such a dynamic body…"

Erio groaned. He wanted to be happier about this outcome, but did she really have to do that in front of everyone? He glanced at her and she gave him a look that reeked of angelic innocence.

"… That's my Lu." He smiled despite himself.

* * *

This happens after chapter 11 of Vivid. In the first place, I thought Erio was the only viable option for Lutecia considering how StrikerS panned out. I did dabble in a little ViCia, but if I ever pair Lutecia with some one again, it'll more than likely be Erio.

Also, it appears that I'm the only author who uses the cheerful, playful Lutecia from Vivid. Most other fics I see featuring her take place in RadiantBeam's Shadow series. I know some may be put off by the new, energetic Lutecia, but she's actually really fun to write.


	17. Get Out of Jail Free Card

**Originally posted: 2010-05-20**

**Content: Vivio's special talent**

* * *

Vivio happily skipped down the steps in her empty home. The rest of her family had left early in the morning, giving her the perfect opportunity to enact her plan for the day.

Glancing at the wall clock, she counted down the seconds until she heard a knock at the door.

Exactly on time.

Vivio pulled open the door to see the two red heads she was expecting.

"Heya, Vivio!" Wendi greeted, hopping inside. "You all set?"

"You bet!" Vivio grinned. "I've been waiting for so long!"

"I know getting the new single is important and all…" Nove spoke up hesitantly. "But is it really okay for you to skip school like this, Vivio?"

"Don't worry, Nove." Vivio assured her. "We're just reviewing some stuff in class today, that's all. I can afford to miss it this once."

"Even so, won't you get in trouble for not being there?" Nove added.

"That's easily taken care of!" Vivio went over to the house terminal and called up a screen. She blocked the video and then input the number for her school. While it rang, she cleared her throat.

"St Hilde Magic Acadamey," The secretary greeted. "How may I help you?"

"Yes, this is Yuuno Scrya, Vivio Takamachi's father. I've called to inform you that my daughter will be absent from school today because she's not feeling very well."

"Okay then, Mr Scrya. Thank you for letting us know."

"You're welcome." The call ended and Vivio returned her voice to normal. "There, all set."

"Wow, you sounded just like him!" Wendi gasped. "How do you do it?"

Vivio just shrugged.

* * *

Just a little voice actor joke. I love me some voice actor jokes :3


	18. Playground Logic

**Originally posted: 2010-05-25**

**Content: Chrono/Yuuno**

* * *

"And I'll need this one, this one, oh and this one too, by the end of the day." Chrono said, holding out a list.

Yuuno gawked at him. "You just read off every book on that list!"

"What's the problem?" The older male asked flatly.

"That's over fifty different books!" The librarian complained. "And you want them by the end of the day?"

"Of course. I'm not asking for much." Chrono deadpanned.

"Not…! Did it ever occur to you that I might have other things to do?"

"Of course you don't have other things to do." Chrono snorted. "You don't have a life. Now get to work, ferret-boy."

Yuuno felt the vein in his head threaten to burst and he tried to calm himself. "You know, Chrono, I've been wondering, but why do you always give me such a hard time?"

"Hm?" Chrono blinked. "You have all the knowledge of the universe at your fingertips and you don't even know that?"

"Know wha…" Yuuno was cut off when the other male pulled him in and crushed their lips together. The blond went wide eyed and stayed that way even after Chrono had pulled away.

"Everyone knows that you tease the person you like." He said monotonously, enjoying the look of shock and confusion on Yuuno's face. Chrono then turned and exited, leaving an utterly baffled archaeologist in his wake.

X-X-X

Some time later…

Yuuno blushed, feeling the coolness of the sheets on his naked back as he looked up into the eyes of his equally naked lover.

"What's wrong?" Chrono asked. "Not ready?"

"N-No, I guess I'm ready…" Yuuno glanced away. "But… can I ask something first?"

"Okay."

"… Why is Amy here?" The males both looked at the woman sitting in the corner holding a video camera.

"A condition of the divorce is that she gets to watch." Chrono explained.

"Oh don't mind me, boys." Amy grinned, making sure her camera was recording. "Do continue!"

* * *

Oddly enough, I find myself enjoying shounen-ai more than shoujo-ai ^^" I liked shows like Kyou Kara Maoh, Yami no Matsuei, and Loveless more than I liked Kannazuki no Miko or Kashimashi. I wonder why that is...


	19. Game Breaking

**Originally posted: 2010-05-26**

**Content: Big ass explosions**

* * *

"STARLIGHT BEAKER!" Nanoha screamed as she fired the blast. The pink energy engulfed the immediate area in a blinding light, forcing her to shield her eyes. She panted heavily, having gone into Blaster 3 and put her all into that single attack. She could barely stay airborne, but her act had been a necessary one.

Nanoha could only pray it had been enough.

The blast subsided, leaving only dust and debris in the air. It soon began to fade, but Nanoha's face had turned to one of horror even before she could see again. Pulsating through the air was the sound of what could only be described as a mechanical heart beat. Beyond the cloud of dirt an orb of light shone faintly, becoming much more brilliant as the air cleared.

The Ace of Aces could now see her foe, a giant humanoid metal monstrosity that towered over everything. To her dismay its metallic body did not even have the slightest scratch on it.

"No way…"

The machine merely stood there, staring at her with the large orb in its face, seemingly taunting her as if saying "Is that the best you can do?"

It then slowly moved its arms up towards its chest, the orbs on the back of its hands and in its chest growing brighter.

"Uh oh!" Nanoha moved to defend herself from whatever was coming, but it seemed like a futile effort.

When the three orbs came together, it made a sound that was like an ominous voice emanating from the machine itself.

_Meioooooou_

The explosion that followed could be seen from space.

* * *

And thus Nanoha learns that no matter how good you are at something, some one will always be better ^^"

The mecha featured is Zeorymer of the Heavens from Hades Project Zeorymer, an old and rather obscure OVA from the 80s. Zeorymer makes things go boom real good! The title is such because Zeorymer breaks whatever Super Robot Wars game it's in (SRWJ even gave it an upgrade!)


	20. The Odd Couple

**Originally posted: 2010-05-27**

**Content: Vice/Giffith**

* * *

"Finally, the day is over!" Vice announced with a stretch as he enter Riot Force 6's lounge area. He stripped off his jacket and unceremoniously tossed it onto one of the couches. Taking a seat on another, the pilot kicked off his shoes and put his feet up on the coffee table.

Griffith, having been the sole occupant of the room before Vice's entrance, looked up from his novel, horrified.

"Vice, could you refrain from acting like a slob?" He admonished.

"Come on, Griffith, I finally get to relax. Cut me some slack." Vice waved it off.

"You may be off duty," Griffith got to his feet and walked over as he lectured. "But we still have to keep up appearances. What if one of your juniors saw you like this? It would set a bad example."

"Hmm…" Vice got to his feet as well. "Lighten up, man. It's no big deal."

"But…"

"Oh?" Vice's hand shot out and snatched away Griffith's glasses off his face. "I wonder… are these what are making you such a serious character?"

"Hey, give those back." Griffith frowned and tried to grab them, but Vice lifted them over his head.

"Maybe I don't wanna."

"Vice!" Griffith tried desperately to get his glasses back, but the other man kept moving them away, taunting him all the while.

Eventually, Griffith leaned too far in and crashed into Vice, sending both of them tumbling down onto the sofa.

"Gonna force yourself on me as punishment, eh?" Vice grinned from his location under the younger man.

"That was not my intent!" Griffith reeled back and blushed furiously. Vice used the opening to deftly reverse their positions. Griffith was now on his back while Vice straddled him. "V-Vice…"

Vice grinned and slipped Griffith's glasses back on to their owner's face.

"You know, I think you look the best with them on." He whispered, slowly inching their faces together.

"You enjoy giving me a hard time, don't you?" Griffith whispered.

"I know you enjoy it too." The former sniper smirked.

Just as their lips were about to touch, the door suddenly slid open.

"What a long day."

"You said it."

Hayate and Shari paused when they walked in.

"What's up with you two?" Shari asked the two flustered looking men who sat at opposite ends of the couch.

"Oh, nothing." They said in unison.

* * *

In light of Nanya's review of my Chrono/Yuuno short, I decided to do this XD Well after this one I don't think I have any more yaoi left in me, so I hope this is enough to please the yaoi fans (if any exist in this fandom ^^")


	21. I Just Do

**Originally posted: 2010-06-06**

**Content: NanoFate**

* * *

It's strange how sometimes something that should be simple ends up being unusually hard. Fate-chan doesn't ask much of me, yet I find myself unable to grant her small wish.

Ever since she and I got together, she never missed a chance to let me know how much she loved me, and how I meant the world to her. She'd tell me how I had saved her life, freed her from her abusive mother, and granted her the life she has now. She says she most likely fell in love with me then, but she only realised what her feelings for me were during the later years of grade school. She would always think of me, want to be with me, and dreamed of the day when she would confess her love. She tells me that she loves my kindness, my straight forwardness, my smile, my laugh, my beauty, and much more.

When she tells me these things, she always has this expectant look in her eyes. I can guess what she wants: she wants me to say the same things back to her, to tell her when I fell in love with her, when I knew she was the one I wanted to be with, what exactly I loved about her and so on. I never came through, though, and I can see the flash of hurt go across her face. In that moment she becomes the same lonely girl I met so many years ago.

I can understand why Fate-chan can be so dependant like this at times. The last person she had devoted her heart to cruelly betrayed her feelings and cast her aside. She's probably afraid that one day I may treat her the same way, so she needs me to elaborate on my feelings so she can be reassured.

I want to provide her with that sense of security by answering those unasked questions, but the problem is I just don't know. When I fell in love with her, when I knew she was the one for me… I just don't know when it happened. Fate-chan was a dear friend and I always treated her as such. The thought of becoming more than that hadn't factored into anything, so I just acted as I normally did around her.

But at some point I guess something just clicked and I couldn't imagine myself being away from her. I realised that I was happiest when I was with her, but I don't know when it all began or what specifically it is about her that I was drawn to, I just… was.

… Maybe it is really just that simple in the end? I may not know the specifics, but I can tell her the most important thing:

"Fate-chan, I may not know when it all began, but I do know for sure that I love you more than anything. That's all there is to it."

* * *

I've always had trouble seeing NanoFate from Nanoha's end of things. I can do Fate well enough (see Nothing's Wrong and Suffering in Silence), but for Nanoha I draw a blank. The way I see things, in canon she just treats Fate the same way she does all her other friends and just doesn't give off the vibe that she sees Fate any more than just a really close friend, or even a sister. On top of that, my logical mind fails to see why Nanoha would ever view Fate as more than just a friend anyways. When I use NanoFate as a background pairing, I have to use the "they just do" mentality and not elaborate on it.

It's one of the things stopping me from doing more NanoFate, however with this short I tried to take this weakness and turn it into something usable. I hope it's somewhat decent.

I've noticed that this fic collection has gotten a lot of hits. It beats all my other fics monthy by several thousand! I'd like to take this as a sign that people have stopped just writing me off as a troll and actually want to read my works so they have been checking each chapter to see if the content is something they'll like. So here's some NanoFate that hopefully you'll like ^^"


	22. Thank You

**Originally posted: 2010-06-07**

**Content: Jail, Precia and SCIENCE!**

* * *

I believe I recall first hearing about Precia Testarossa sometime ago. It was just a passing mention of a young up and comer, so I didn't really pay much mind. I was far too busy with my work to care.

I met her in person at a later time. I had yet to become well known as a criminal so I didn't have to worry about concealing myself. Scientists spend most of their time cooped up in their labs and don't bother watching Mid Childa's Most Wanted anyways.

When I did interact with her, I was enraptured with her almost immediately. Her long, smooth algorithms, her large, well rounded formulas, her luscious, rich mind. I thoroughly enjoyed romping around with her research, amazed at her prowess in the science of familiars and other forms of artificial life.

She was precisely what I was looking for to help further my plan. While I was quite versed in organic matters, my specialty was still machines, so my biological research was lacking in several areas. I am not a small man, and have no qualms in using others for assistance. All scientists do this already anyways. We just build on the research of others; we don't reinvent the wheel each time.

I informed her of what I was working on: clone technology that could preserve memories, effectively resurrecting an individual in the case of their demise. I had laid down the basic theory, but I had yet to perfect it. I hoped she would provide her insight to the matter.

But she refused! Imagine that! Rather than angry, I was quite amused about how she told me she would never do such an 'unethical' thing, and that we were scientists, not God.

Despite her gifted mind, I was slightly disappointed in her lack of vision. Could she not see that such research would change the world? The boundary between life and death would be no more and society would turn on its head! Could she not see how incredibly amusing that would be?

No matter, my desires would not be defused so easily.

Oh dear me, who ever would have expected such an unfortunate accident to occur! Some how, and I do so wonder how, an experiment of hers went awry, resulting in untold amounts of damage on the dimensional scale and a far more personal loss.

Her mind may have been sharp, but her heart was oh so weak. Not only had she been banished as a criminal, but she had lost her cute little daughter as well. Oh how tragic! She had become a broken woman and that is when I stepped in to offer her salvation. I reminded her of the method with which she could bring her daughter back to life and this time she did not refuse.

She did marvellous work, truly, and far exceeded my expectations. It wasn't long before she had a fully formed clone complete with memories, yet for some reason she wasn't satisfied with it. I don't care to fathom why this was so. I already had what I wanted.

But still, I thought I should at least give her a tip in appreciation of her hard work. I had heard through the grape vine that a young lad had recently uncovered artefacts of immense power. I simply suggested that perhaps if she had these in her possession, she could travel to a certain legendary place which may have the technology to truly revive the dead. I only had to arrange an accident to occur during the transportation of these items, and the rest would be up to her.

I'm oh so good at arranging accidents.

Her sanity had long since fractured by then, so she bought the idea quite easily. Yes, the events that resulted provided me with great amusement.

Pity what happened to her in the end, but no matter. The legacy she left behind provided me with much to play around with and I am grateful.

So thank you, Precia my dear. Thank you very much.

* * *

This was requested by ZeroXSEED, though I'm not sure this is exactly what he had in mind ^^"


	23. Cold No Longer

**Originally posted: 2010-06-15**

**Content: Vita's past and present**

* * *

It was so cold.

Vita shivered as she huddled in the fetal position in the corner of the barren room. It was the room that their current master had decided to keep them in when there was no battle to be fought. At one point it had been a walk in freezer, and it still worked as one with the icy air still being pumped through the vents.

Her comrades were resting in various spots of the room, recovering their energy from the harsh conflict of the day, a few of their wounds were still healing, none of them having been properly treated and Shamal being too exhausted to heal them.

Their master offered no aid, only criticism. Why should she waste precious supplies on mere tools?

Yes, that's all they were. Tools. Tools for fighting, destroying, and killing. Heartless murderers at the beck and call of the one who held the book.

Tools did not need first aid, nor did they need warm beds to sleep in, or clean clothes to wear. They did not need consideration, kindness or love.

Tools just needed to do what they were created for. They were just artificial constructs made for a single purpose.

Organic as they were, they still required sustenance, much to their master's annoyance. A cold slop served their needs, loaded with the necessary nutrition, but tasting like the excrements of an elephant. Tools did not need hot, tasty meals after all.

Vita closed her eyes and attempted to sleep. Soon it would be over, she told herself. The book would be complete and then… She wasn't sure. All she knew is that they would eventually belong to a new master and the tools would be used again, and again.

And again…

…

Vita shot up off the floor, frantically surveying her surroundings. Rather than the concrete of the freezer, she saw rows of lockers and benches along the walls. Glancing down, she saw she wore only her camisole and her panties with the rest of her clothes scattered about. Pulling herself out of the past, she returned to the present.

"Guess tonight's training wore me out more than I thought…" She muttered. "I must have nodded off while changing…" Reaching out to grab her shirt, she noticed her hand was shaking. "Damn it…"

Pissed that the memory had unnerved her, Vita threw her clothes on and left the training grounds. The stars were out in full, making the red head wonder how late her evening session had gone over. She made haste in her return, the cool breeze making her mouth go dry as it sliced through her.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it…" She mumbled as she fumbled with the keys to the house. They clattered together much like her teeth did. All the lights were off, indicating the residents had already turned in for the night. Making her way inside, she carelessly tossed off her shoes and nearly ran up the stairs. In a flash she was in the bedroom and under the covers, not even bothering to strip, and she instantly felt more at ease.

There was a rustling next to her as another figure rolled over.

"Mmm… Vita, what's wrong?" She mumbled, half asleep.

"It's nothing, Hayate, don't worry about it." Vita whispered back.

"Ok…" Hayate yawned as she reached out, wrapping her arms around the other girl and pulling her in close. She then planted a soft kiss on Vita's forehead. "Good night."

"Good night…" Vita said back, nestling her face into Hayate's chest.

Things may have been horrible back then, but now they had a wonderful master who didn't treat them as tools, who gave them comfy beds, hot meals, and most of all: love.

There, held snugly in her beloved master's arms, Vita knew the nightmares couldn't chase her.

It was so warm.

* * *

I dedicate this one to Nanya, who's a true friend. I guess you could say it's Hayate/Vita... Personally that's one pairing I'm thoroughly opposed to (Hayate/any of the Wolkenritter for that matter), but I know Nanya likes it so the possibility is there ^^"


	24. Honey Trap

**Originally posted: 2010-06-20**

**Content: The sad tale of a foolish priest. Gets kinda gorey...**

* * *

When our eyes met that day in the courtyard, I felt as if the Kaiser herself had ordained our meeting.

I cannot explain it precisely, but there was something that radiated from her eyes at that time, something far different than the looks of respect and admiration that the others around me would give. Yes, there was just more to it, like a sort of longing, almost as if she had found exactly what she was looking for.

The serene smile she sent my way is something forever burned in my memory. I rushed through my business that day, trying to get free even a moment earlier so I could search for the woman who had captivated me so easily.

She was still waiting there in the garden, and when I approached she beamed at me once again.

"I knew you'd come." She said wistfully.

Yes, I am certain some unknown power was behind our meeting. What followed were months of unbelievable bliss. To think an older man such as myself would garner the affections of one so youthful and beautiful… It was almost too good to be true.

But it was true, she assured me. She told me of how since joining the church, she highly respected and looked up to me, in awe of my lofty position as keeper of the Shroud of the Saint King. It had interested her, so she begun to secretly watch me and eventually fell for me.

I could not help but melt as she leaned in close to me, pressing her young, supple body against mine as she whispered words of love in my ear.

It did not take long for me to begin to desire her as well. I may be a pious man, but before such words of devotion from her I could not help but crumble. Nothing in the Saint Church doctrine prohibits affairs between priests and nuns, so there wasn't anything unfaithful in it.

Occasionally we would come close to giving in to our carnal desires, but she would always pull back.

"I want to wait for it to be really special." She would always tell me. I respected her wishes, so we never went that far. It mattered not, for our bond was all that was needed to sate me.

However, one day she appeared to be out of sorts. When I questioned her, she attempted to pass it off as nothing, saying it wasn't a big deal and I shouldn't worry about it. Naturally I kept prying as it was obvious something was troubling my beloved. She eventually broke down and explained the situation to me.

Her father was an avid gambler with little luck, so he had amassed quite an amazingly large debt. Paying such a debt was no longer feasible by regular means, so when the collectors came for him, he offered the only thing he had of any value: his own daughter.

I was appalled by this, but she was even more devastated. Tears welling in her eyes, she told me that if she didn't go, her father would be killed. She didn't want that to happen, but she also didn't want to be given away to some strange men, as she was sure she'd be sold off to be some person's plaything. She was saving herself for me, she said, so the mere thought was revolting, but she couldn't leave her father to die.

Running up to me and putting her body against mine, she gingerly put a hand to my cheek and looked into my eyes with her watery ones.

"Please, you have to help me." She begged in a whisper.

Of course I wanted to help her, I would do anything for her, but what could I do? Even if I were to put her and her father in protective custody, apparently this organization had ties everywhere, so even the church might not be safe. I would have to eliminate the debt itself, but how? When I took my vows I gave up all worldly possessions, so I had no money of my own.

If only I could get that money quickly some how…

The image of the holy item flashed through my mind. Yes, if we sold that, it would certainly be worth more than enough! But what was I thinking? Was I honestly considering stealing the holy relic? Looking into the pleading eyes of my love made my heart constrict. Yes, if it was for her I would do anything, even betray my god.

"… I have an idea." I told her, explaining what it was. My words took a moment to register before her face showed shock.

"You can't do that." She tried to reason. "Even if it is for me, to do such a thing…"

"It's the only way to save you!" I assured her. I wasn't going to lose her like this, so I would do it.

Using my clearance I easily made my way into the chamber which held the shroud. I hesitated momentarily, a sliver of doubt appearing in my resolve. Clenching my teeth, I reassured myself that it was the only way. It was for the sake of my love, so surely the Kaiser would understand! Would she not be pleased to know that her legacy had saved others and brought them happiness?

I took it and then made haste to our rendezvous point. I had become a criminal, but I was prepared for it. It was all for my beloved's sake!

We met up and made our way outside the church walls. We ran quickly and it appeared as though we would get away with our crime. Suddenly, she stopped and turned to me.

"Let me hold on to it." She asked, gesturing to the cloth I carried. Nodding, I handed it to her. "So this is…" She muttered, examining the ancient fabric before folding it up and tucking it under her arm.

"Quickly, we must go!" I urged her, but she just smiled at me.

"I must thank you for all that you've done." She said. "And now your usefulness has ended."

"W-What?" I gasped in shock. What was she…?

"_IS: Liar's Mask_."

I felt something sharp and hot pierce into my belly. The sensation was nearly secondary to the shock I felt seeing her lovely brown hair lighten in colour and her habit dissolving into some sort of blue jump suit.

The burning in my gut spread horizontally and I heard something fall with a sickening squish. Wondering why I suddenly felt so much lighter, I peered down to see what seemed to be intestines piled onto the ground. Following the organs, I noticed they climbed up into the slash across my stomach…

Oh, so those are my intestines…

I made to voice my disbelief, but I only choked on the blood that had flowed out of my mouth.

"It's been fun." She said, running her tongue across the crimson stained claws that adorned her fingers. "But this is where we part ways."

The last thing my mind registered was her bladed hand swinging at my neck.

* * *

Obviously this is about how Due got the shroud of the Saint Kaiser that contained the DNA Vivio was cloned from.

Hmmm... Is there some random male character I _haven't_ written about yet? XD

Big thanks to Jimmy C from AS for all his suggestions!


	25. Common Ground

**Originally posted: 2007-07-09**

**Content: Corona's thoughts on Einhart**

* * *

Corona thought it would be hard to get along with Einhart. She just didn't find herself connecting with the older girl for a variety of reasons.

Einhart was reserved and withdrawn, making it hard to approach her and start up conversations. This was especially true for Corona, who had a fairly reserved personality herself. They never really had much of a chance to talk.

Corona had to admit she was in awe of Einhart, but also a bit intimidated. The purple and blue eyed girl was amazingly strong, with skill and bloodline also giving her an edge. Watching Einhart in action made Corona feel very small. There's no way she, a bookworm only training because her friends were, could compete with that. The difference was clear like night and day.

Then there was Vivio. Seeing Einhart beating Vivio to the point of unconsciousness had planted the seeds of resentment in Corona's heart. Did Einhart really have to go that far? Did she really have to beat her blond haired friend so badly? Corona didn't like it one bit, but to make matters worse, Vivio thought absolutely nothing of it.

In contrast to Corona, Vivio's opinion of Einhart had only shot up after every match. Instead of being mad or frustrated about being beaten, Vivio had stars in her eyes as she gushed about Einhart's skills. The two heterochromatic girls continued to become closer, Vivio especially openly showing her affection.

It made Corona quite jealous.

She had known Vivio longer, she had been friends with her for years, and yet Einhart just waltzed in and suddenly she's Vivio's favourite. Vivio used to gush over Corona's magical puppeteering, but not anymore. Even though Corona tried so hard to improve it, even though she could now summon a massive golem, all she ever heard was "Einhart-san this! Einhart-san that! Einhart-san is so amazing!" The one special talent Corona had was completely irrelevant next to Einhart's greatness.

Admiration, envy, and resentment twisted in Corona's gut. She knew she being petty and wasn't being fair to the other girl. It's not like Einhart was trying to take Vivio away, she wasn't trying to make Corona irrelevant… at least, Corona didn't think so.

Einhart did appear to be a good person, so it was unlikely there were ill intentions. Corona was just going to have to put aside her negative thoughts and reach out to the older girl. Corona tried long and hard to think of how they could connect, something that the two of them could share. That would be the first step to forming a friendship. But what could that something be?

"… Hey, Einhart-san, I really like your hair."

"T-Thank you. I really like your hair too."

Maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all.

* * *

This was inspired by something DezoPenguin posted, where he made a comparison between Einhart and Fate because they both had twin tails. I didn't think the comparison was particularly apt, but it made me think of how Corona and Einhart both have twintails, and in a few colour pages their hair colour looks the same. Figured it was something they could connect over and so I wrote this.


	26. Matchmaker's Payoff

**Originally posted: 2010-07-13**

**Content: Yuunoha**

* * *

It was finally happening: Nanoha and Yuuno are getting married.

"It's about time!" was the general reaction to the news of them getting together. It did certainly take awhile didn't it? Well I for one think it is better late than never.

I did my best to help them along the way. I still remember that Christmas when we were nine and I let him know he had my support. Years ticked by, and our work usually kept us at a distance, but I gave them the opportunities I could provide. If I were allowed to brag, I'd say that the one time at the auction during the JS incident, when I handed guard duty of Yuuno off to Nanoha and then pulled Erio and Caro away, was pretty smooth. When I glanced back at them they were happily chatting away with light blushes on their cheeks.

It was a little thing, but even those little things added up. The main problem, though, was that Nanoha was too oblivious to these matters and Yuuno just wasn't romantically aggressive. Both seemed perfectly fine being 'just friends,' but all of us knew it went beyond that, though. The roles they played in each others lives and what they meant to each other just seemed to pulse from them when they were together.

It was a long road, but here I am, decked out in my gown and standing at the altar with the other bridesmaids, awaiting my best friend's walk down the isle. Across from me is Yuuno, dressed in his tux and looking like you could easily blow him over. Well, he's certainly entitled to be nervous on his big day, isn't he?

Behind him is Chrono who's trying his best not to smirk too largely. My brother tried to help Yuuno out too, but in his own way. His own way being to pester Yuuno until he took action, of course. "Hey, how're things going with Nanoha? What's your relationship with Nanoha like these days?" Is what he'd constantly ask. Glancing over at Amy, I knew my sister-in-law had used the same tactics.

And here comes Nanoha now, wearing a stunning dress and taking the long walk to her new future. I had wondered about the future myself. What was going to happen from now on? I'd spent so many years trying to hook my friends up, but now that they have each other, what's in store for me? Would they not want me around anymore? Am I just no longer needed and will I fade into the background?

I'll admit I was worried about that briefly, but I knew I had nothing to be concerned about. Just because they had each other didn't mean I was losing my place in their lives. They're still my friends. No, more than that, they're family, important people who mean the world to me. Nanoha will still be my best friend, I'll still be the god parent of Vivio and their future children, I'll still be welcome to stay at their home, and I'll still be there to assist them when they need it.

So as they say their I dos, I smile, knowing I have nothing to worry about. I'm not losing anything, instead we are all gaining so much more. It's only going to get better from here.

* * *

Well, I had weddings on the brain cuz I have the first part of that one Panic at the Disco song stuck in my head. There's also how some zealots would say stuff like Nanoha and Yuuno getting together would destroy Nanoha and Fate's relationship, yadda yadda yadda. Well just showing here that Fate's role wouldn't change, as she'd wouldn't suddenly lose best friend/honourary family member status or anything.

While I don't think NanoFate is canon, I don't think Yuunoha is canon either. However, I do consider Fate shipping Yuunoha to be canon, with specific examples mentioned in fic. So certainly Fate would be all for them getting together!

Remember, this is just what _I_ think.


	27. Toast

**Originally posted: 2010-07-15**

**Content: Yuunoha, continues from the previous short**

* * *

After the ceremony was complete, the entire congregation transferred over to the massive reception hall where they were all seated. The feast was then brought out, and all in attendance happily sated their hunger on the scrumptious food.

It was during the meal that the sound of metal tapping on glass quelled the many conversations and brought all attention to the blond woman who stood at the head table with the newly christened husband and wife.

"May I have your attention, please?" Fate said into a microphone. "I have a few words to say."

Everyone gave her their undivided consideration.

"Now, normally this speech is made by the best man." Fate began. "But Chrono would have loaded it with insults so it was decided I should do it instead."

Chuckles abound while Chrono simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Today we've all gathered to celebrate Nanoha and Yuuno finally getting married, a day a lot of us didn't think would ever come. Well, it only took them over fifteen years, but better late than never I suppose."

There were more chuckles as the couple laughed sheepishly.

"Fifteen years, but during this time these two have touched so many of our lives." Fate paused to sweep her gaze across the room. "We all know the story by now: a normal nine year old girl comes across a wounded ferret in the woods and this meeting would set off a series of events that were significant to so many. Some of us wouldn't even be here right now if that, quite literal, magical meeting didn't take place."

"I am one such person. I honestly couldn't tell you what my life would be like now if it weren't for them. I will never forget the first time I met them that day in Suzuka's backyard. Initially Nanoha was just an enemy mage, and Yuuno was her familiar. She was quick to correct me on that, saying that he wasn't her familiar but her friend. My brother still can't tell the difference, though."

Chrono again just shrugged at the laughs.

"Well," Fate continued. "I would encounter them many times afterwards as I hunted the Jewel Seeds for my mother. I battled them many times, yet they still tried to reach out to me. When I activated all the remaining Seeds over the ocean, the Bureau decided to let me wear myself out, but Nanoha and Yuuno wouldn't let that happen. They disobeyed direct orders and teleported down to save me, the one who had caused them so much trouble in the past. Later, when I had my heart shattered by my mother's rejection, the both of them were there, holding and supporting me."

"I could go on and on about what they've done for me, from Nanoha allowing me the privileged to have a hand in raising Vivio, to Yuuno helping me crack tough cases by doing hours of research. Both of them have taught me the true meaning of friendship, Nanoha specifically blasting that particular definition into me."

There was boisterous laugher now as Nanoha blushed profusely.

"While we may have no blood or legal connections, Nanoha has always been a valued member of my family, and now that family has grown by one person. Two very special people to me have found happiness together, and I can't express how overjoyed I am. So here's to them!" Fate raised her glass and everyone else mimicked the gesture. "To Nanoha and Yuuno, may the rest of your life together be filled with love and bliss. Always know that when you have a houseful of kids, I'll be there to help. Cheers!"

Glasses clinked, fluid was downed, and the festivities continued long into the night.


	28. Contentment

**Originally posted: 2010-07-24**

**Content: Yuuno and Nanoha friendship, background NanoFate**

* * *

"Yuuno-kun!" Nanoha almost sang as she poked her head into his office.

"Hey there, Nanoha." Yuuno smiled at his long time friend, not the least bit surprised by her sudden visit.

"So…" Nanoha made her way over and leaned against the side of his desk. "How did it go last night?"

"Not that great." He admitted.

"Eeeh?" Nanoha cried. "What went wrong? She was really cute, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, she was." Yuuno scratched his cheek. "But… not to speak poorly of her, she was… well, not much of a thinker."

"Really?" Nanoha looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "But she's pretty sharp during training…"

"Well, sense on the battlefield is one thing, but practical knowledge is another." Yuuno chuckled lightly. "She ordered the tuna salad and then asked me if it was chicken or fish…"

"Oh…" Nanoha frowned. "I'm sorry, Yuuno-kun. I promise next time I'll set you up with some one better!"

"Don't worry about it, Nanoha." Yuuno waved her off.

"But none of the girls Fate-chan and Hayate-chan introduced you to have worked out either, right?"

"Err, well, yeah." Yuuno said. "The Enforcer Fate set me up with looked down on me like some kind of insect the whole time while the subordinate Hayate set me up with only talked about how badly she wanted to get me into a dress…"

"Ah, right…" Nanoha sighed. "I guess even though they look good for you at first doesn't mean they actually will be…"

"But like I said, Nanoha." Yuuno rose from his seat and moved in front of her. "You don't need to worry about it. You and the others don't need to keep getting me these blind dates."

"But you're always spending your time here in this office," Nanoha pointed out. "You're stuck here and all you do is work. You don't get to hang out with us much either and I'm worried that you might not be happy. When I think about how happy being with Fate-chan makes me, I thought if you had some one special like that, things would be better for you, so…"

"Nanoha," Yuuno sighed happily as he put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm grateful that you feel that way, but it's unnecessary. I work so much because I like my job and enjoy what I do. I admit it would be nice to be able to spend more time with you and the others, but our lives are really busy. Even so, I know I always have wonderful friends that care deeply about me who will be there when I need them."

"You're always there for us, so it's only natural…" Nanoha added.

"So yeah, I'm a pretty fortunate guy." He smiled. "One day I would like to settle down but I'm in no rush."

"Nyahaha, I see." Nanoha grinned sheepishly. "Sorry for meddling."

"It's okay." Yuuno hugged her. "I know this might be unorthodox, but when the day does come I hope you'll stand for me as my best woman."

"Really? I would love to!" Her eyes lit up. "… But you do realise by telling me this I want that day to come as soon as possible!"

"You're just going to have to be patient!"

They both laughed.

* * *

Long story short: Deathcurse and Keroko put forth their views on Yuuno's situation, and I used them to create this. Yuuno being set up on wacky blind dates was a plot bunny I suggested, though :D


	29. The Hardest Part

**Originally posted: 2010-09-20**

**Content: Yuuno/whoever you want**

* * *

Yuuno Scrya was a man of patience. Surely he had to be, given his profession. He was rather adept at breaking through the surface, venturing in deeper and deeper into the earth in search of hidden wonders. The arduous labour only made the pay off that much sweeter, and the sights he'd see were truly marvels to behold.

However, there is always an exception to everything. There were some particular concealed treasures that he just couldn't wait to get his hands on, to study thoroughly, to bury his face in. But these items were well guarded and the lengthy procedure to expose them was a frustrating task.

"Why do TSAB uniforms have to have so many layers!" He muttered as he undid more buttons.

His partner chuckled, always finding his intent expression quite the sight to see, even if she did dislike waiting as much as he did.

* * *

Just a quick joke I wanted to use somewhere. Yuuno's partner can be Nanoha, Fate, Hayate, or whoever else you want :) (I originally had this idea during a Hayate/Yuuno lemon, which would be followed by her putting on her barrier jacket for easy access.)

But seriously, those uniforms... You got the jacket, the shirt, and those black undershirts to get past before you get to the goodies. Those damn undershirts completely rob us of the possibility of them undoing the top buttons of their shirts to show some skin :( I find that to be a particularly hot look on both sexes.


	30. Aftermath

**Originally posted: 2010-09-23**

**Content: Lutecia/Erio**

* * *

"Ah, the kiddies are finally down." Lutecia stretched lazily as she entered the living room. "Oh hi Erio."

"Hey Lu." He smiled as she joined him on the couch. "How are the others doing?"

"So sore they could barely move." She giggled. "But somehow they still managed to get worked up about the upcoming tournament. Looks like Einhart is interested in participating too."

"That's great," Erio said. "Too bad I won't be able to make it."

"I know, it sucks big time." Lutecia sighed. "I just don't know how I'll manage without you there cheering me on."

"Well, I'll be with you in spirit!"

"That line's so corny." Lutecia smirked.

"Best I got." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm happy to hear it anyways." She lightly poked him with her elbow. "So how was your family time?"

"Good." Erio replied. "Caro just chatted away while I gave Fate-san a massage."

"A massage eh…" Lutecia hummed. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Do me too, would you?"

"Eh?" He blinked. "Why?"

"Because my shoulders are stiff." Lutecia rolled them. "I may watch my pace and stamina distribution properly, but I still get sore shoulders."

"I don't know, it's pretty late already…."

"Oh come on." Lutecia turned away from him and glanced over her shoulder. Hooking her fingers under the straps of her top, she slowly slid them down her arms before gathering her hair and bringing it over one shoulder so it draped down her chest. "Pleeease?"

Erio gave a little groan, but the sight of her exposed, delicate looking skin drew him in completely. "Okay, okay."

Lutecia shivered briefly at the difference in temperature of their flesh when Erio placed his hands on her shoulders. He began to knead them slowly and gently, gradually increasing his speed and grip strength as time passed.

"Mmmm… So good… Yes, right there… harder!"

"Stop that." Erio frowned, eyes darting around to make sure no one would pop in. Even so, he still savoured the sensation of Lutecia's soft, creamy, flawless skin.

"I can't help it." Lutecia stuck out her tongue. "Your technique is amazing."

"Speaking of," Erio decided to switch topics. "You were pretty amazing during those mock battles today."

"Fufufu, of course. Did you expect anything less?"

"… Even if we all did get taken out in the end…" Erio added with a chuckle.

"Oh you just had to spoil it." Lutecia faked a sigh. "You have no idea what it's like to get hit by a flying fist of rock… Though I'm not sure how to feel about it… Should I whine that I lost, or should I gloat that the device I made Corona was perfect?"

"I'd go with the latter." Erio offered.

"Gloat it is then! You certainly have gloating rights too, Erio."

"How so?"

"You went toe to toe with Fate-san and you came out on top! Well… sorta… for a little bit… Still, you did great against her."

"I just got lucky." Erio chuckled sheepishly. "Besides, Nanoha-san helped me out too."

"She only helped you for a little bit before going off to nuke the field." Lutecia snickered. "That sure turned out well."

"We probably should have expected that." Erio laughed.

"Back on topic! I bet Fate-san was really proud of you for how well you handled yourself."

"Yeah…" Erio flushed. "That's what she said."

"Although…" Lutecia frowned. "Did you really need to slice her clothes off?"

"It's not like I did that on purpose!" Erio sputtered.

"Sure you didn't, Erio." Lutecia grinned back at him. "You had absolutely no desire to see Fate-san's glorious body. I know full well what a huge crush you have on her."

"I used to…" He muttered. Plus, it's not like he hadn't seen Fate completely naked before.

"Can't say I blame you, though." Lutecia went on. "Such a dynamite figure, huge breasts, great hair… If you want to ogle her I understand, but I wish you'd recognise my charm once in awhile."

"I do recognise it." He said, gathering himself together and lowering his voice. "After all, it was that charm that made me fall for you in the first place." He leaned in and pressed his lips against the bare side of her neck.

"… So, you do know how to put the moves on me…" She whispered.

"I'd do it more often if you weren't always taking the lead before I can…"

"Me? Take the lead? You mean like this?" Lutecia leaned back forcibly, pinning the boy between herself and the couch.

"Lu…!" Erio's yelp was cut off as Lutecia spun herself around and pressed her lips to his.

"Sorry, I'm just the kind of girl who takes what she wants." When she stuck out her tongue again, this time Erio shot up and brought his to meet it.

'I can be that kind of guy too, you know.' Erio told her telepathically.

'Oh? I like a good challenge.'

Their tongues entered a heated battle as they fought for dominance, only ceasing when they had to break for air.

"Okay, how about we call it a draw?" Lutecia huffed contently.

"No rematch?" Erio grinned.

"Not tonight." Lutecia softly brushed her nose over his before sitting up. "We should go before…"

"Erio, where are…?" Fate entered the room to be greeted by the sight of Lutecia straddling Erio, both wearing dishevelled clothes.

"Uh, Fate-san, this…"

"Wha… What are you two doing?" Fate's face exploded in red and her arms began flailing in the air. "I-It's too early for you to do such things! And to do it here when anyone could walk in, what were you thinking! Do it in private and make sure you have protection! I mean, don't do it at all! Save it for when you're older! I mean I haven't even… No, wait, that doesn't matter, just… You can't okay?"

Lutecia stared at the hysteric woman before looking down at Erio and sighing dramatically.

"Damn it, she's adorable! How am I supposed to beat that?"

* * *

This is something I've been meaning to write for awhile and it takes place after Vivid chapter 16. This couple is certainly becoming a favourite of mine :)


	31. Adult Conversation

Be sure to visit my profile and check out the poll currently there.

**

* * *

**

Originally posted: 2010-09-19

**Content: Nanoha, Fate, and Megane. Continues from the previous short.**

* * *

"Oh Fate your reaction was adorable!" Megane laughed.

"… It's not that funny…" Fate muttered.

"Believe me Fate-chan," Nanoha also giggled. "It was."

"Geez…" Fate puffed. "Megane, you should be more concerned about this!"

"Concerned about what?" Megane smirked.

"About… well… you know…" Fate flushed. "Erio and Lutecia…"

"No, I don't know. Please tell me what you mean."

"Stop teasing me!" Fate sulked.

"I can't help it, it's so much fun." Megane said. "But if you're like this, how ever did you explain the facts of life to Erio and Caro?"

"… I asked Lindy-kaa-san to tell them." Fate answered. "She explained it the same way she explained it to me."

"With the donut and the banana?" Nanoha grinned.

"Yeah…" Fate grew redder. "A-Anyways, it's nice that Erio and Lutecia are together, and it's okay that they're interested in being… intimate… but it's just too soon!"

"I don't know about that." Megane shrugged. "I was pretty active in my teen years."

"Really?" Nanoha asked. "If Lutecia's fourteen then…"

"Just how old do you think I am?" Megane chuckled. "Anyways, these days you're considered an oddity if you aren't sexually active when you're young."

"But there's nothing wrong with that!" Fate insisted, getting the other two women to stare at her.

"… Fate, are you still a virgin? At your age?" Megane gasped mockingly.

"I-I am. Something wrong with that?" The blond muttered.

"I see." Megane sighed. "Who'd have thought our adult-like Fate-san is such a late bloomer?"

"What are you talking about, Fate-chan?" Nanoha blinked. "You and I fool around all the time."

"Aaaah."

"Nanoha! Don't tell her that!"

"Oh please, it's not that surprising." Megane waved it off. "When our men were away, Quint and I often kept each other company. So you do have experience, Fate."

"But that's different…" Fate insisted. "I'm still…"

"No toys?" Megane turned to Nanoha.

"Fate-chan doesn't like toys. They make her uncomfortable." Nanoha shrugged. "So she's never experienced anything bigger than a few fingers."

"Toys pale in comparison to the real thing anyways." Megane said. "You're really missing out."

"I-It's really not such a big deal!" Fate flushed and turned to the brunette for support. "Right, Nanoha?"

"Hm?" Nanoha arched an eyebrow. "Sorry Fate-chan but I agree with Megane-san on this one. You don't know what you're missing."

"But…" Something clicked. "Wait, Nanoha you… who? When?"

"Oh, I never told you?" Nanoha smiled apologetically. "It was when I was a teenager and in that whole curious/experimental stage."

"So you just did it with some random guy?" Fate gasped.

"No, no, of course I wanted it to do it with some one I trusted." Nanoha laughed. "Yuuno-kun treated me very well. Even now we'll hook up from time to time."

"I-I had no idea you and him were involved…" Fate muttered towards her lap.

"Hm? We're not going out or anything if that's what you're thinking." Nanoha patted her friend's shoulder. "You know I'm not too interested in romance. He knows that too, so it's just a physical thing with no strings attached. Nothing feels better after a stressful day you know."

"Amen to that sister." Megane purred.

"I just had a great idea!" Nanoha clapped her hands together. "Why don't you join us next time, Fate-chan? I'm sure Yuuno-kun would love that! He fantasizes about you all the time, you know."

"Bwah?" Fate sputtered.

"Yeah, you'd definitely love it too!" Nanoha continued. "He's very amazing in various aspects. The things he can do to you… You'll lose your mind!"

"My, it sounds like I'll need to get a piece of that myself." Megane sighed. "It's been so long since I've been with a man… Despite my best efforts, our cute postman is too faithful to his girlfriend and just won't bite. If Lutecia hadn't snatched up Erio I might have tried my hand there too. Oh well."

"I didn't think you were such a cougar, Megane-san." Nanoha giggled.

"Puma." Megane grinned.

"In that case, you can join us too!" Nanoha flourished her hands. "Me, you, Fate-chan, and Yuuno-kun, we'll have a great time!"

"Will the poor boy be able to survive?" Megane laughed.

"Oh he'll be fine. His stamina is incredible. Fate-chan, since it'll be your first time I'll make sure he goes easy on you!"

At this point Fate's face was pure crimson, her eyes were swirls and her head bopped from side to side. She shot to her feet and almost tumbled over but she managed to stay upright.

"I can't believe you two!" Fate cried as she dashed out of the room.

Silence hung for a moment before the remaining women burst out laughing.

"The look on her face was just priceless!"

"Fate-chan is just so easy to tease."

"I can't believe she believed everything we said, too."

"She's so innocent like that." Nanoha yawned followed by a stretch. "That was fun, but now it's time for bed… I hope she lets me into the room."

"If she doesn't, come on over to my room…" Megane said with a wink. Nanoha laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

I guess the main thing I was trying to showcase in this fic is the different view points on this sort of topic.

Now the question is how much of what Megane and Nanoha were saying is true XD


	32. Should Have Seen it Coming

**Originally posted: 2010-12-11**

**Content: Yuuno and Chrono**

* * *

Whenever he met up with Chrono, Yuuno knew two things would inevitably follow: an increase in his work load and a flurry of stealth insults. The older man seemed to take such pleasure in making the librarian's life more difficult.

Yet somehow despite all that, Yuuno considered Chrono an invaluable friend. His best friend, in fact. They had been through a lot together so behind the subtle antagonism Yuuno knew there was a reliable person who would always have his back. It was because of Chrono's support that Yuuno was in the position he was today and the admiral never ceased said support. Yuuno took all the jabs and barbs in stride, knowing there was no real malice in Chrono's actions but a heavily disguised desire to help.

So even though Yuuno would occasionally groan about it all, he'd never snap at Chrono and would never deny his old friend's requests. It was a comfortable relationship that both parties were quite pleased with.

But Yuuno had a secret that he knew would upset all that. It was a secret he had been struggling with for awhile, debating whether or not he should come out and reveal it to his oldest male friend. On the one hand the archaeologist knew the value of being upfront about such things, but on the other hand the reveal could destroy what he already had with the other man. If not outright destroy, it would certainly be changed in a big way.

"So Yuuno, how's it going with Nanoha?"

And there it was. It was a favoured topic of Chrono's, bringing up Nanoha and inquiring about Yuuno's current relationship with the girl.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Yuuno sighed. "Nanoha and I are just childhood friends."

"Still?" Chrono made a display of rolling his eyes. "Come on, Yuuno. How many years has it been? You still haven't made a move? I've heard of late bloomers but come on! If you don't do anything, how do you expect to improve things? You know how Nanoha is. She won't understand unless you tell it straight to her face."

Yuuno wasn't sure why Chrono was so insistent on getting Nanoha and him to hook up, but the older man never missed a chance to goad him on. If only he knew the truth…

Amy used to be much the same way, but Yuuno was able to set the matter straight with her. He was relieved to find her understanding and sympathetic of his situation. She promised her secrecy and Yuuno couldn't help but think how lucky Chrono was to have such a caring woman for a wife.

If only Yuuno could believe the husband would have the same understanding reaction. But still, Yuuno had to believe in his best friend and be completely honest with him. He was bound to find out eventually and things might work out better if he heard it right from the horse's mouth.

"Listen, Chrono. About that matter, I have a confession to make…" Yuuno said.

"What is it?" Chrono picked up on the seriousness in his friend's voice and stood to meet his eyes.

"Nothing is ever going to happen between Nanoha and I because… Well…" Yuuno glanced away, unable to meet the other man's gaze as he found his words.

"You don't need to say anymore, Yuuno." Chrono said as he put his hands on Yuuno's shoulders. "I had a feeling that might have been the case…"

"R-Really?" Yuuno gasped. He thought he had done a good job of hiding it but had Chrono really seen right through him?

"Yeah, and I just want to let you know that I'm cool with it. It doesn't change a thing between us."

"You sure?" Yuuno brightened considerably. It looked like all his worrying had been for nothing. "So it doesn't matter to you that I'm…"

"Even if you're gay, you're still my friend." Chrono nodded sagely.

"Woah, woah!" Yuuno waved his hands as he backed away. "I'm not gay!"

"You're not?" Chrono blinked.

"No!"

"Well if you're not coming out of the closet, then what were you going to say?"

Yuuno took a deep breath before he finally spat it out.

"I'm going out with your sister."

That day, the staff of the Infinity Library was surprised to see just how fast their boss could run.


	33. The Code

**Originally posted: 2010-12-18**

**Content: Yuuno and Chrono, continues from last time**

* * *

"Well then Yuuno." Chrono said as he calmly sipped his tea. "I believe you have some explaining to do."

"I… I don't know what you want me to say…" Yuuno replied.

"Let's start with what you think you're doing dating my sister."

"Well, at first we were just spending hours working on cases together, and then we started going to dinner afterwards, and then we promised to meet more outside of work, and before we knew it we were a couple…"

"How long has this been going on?"

"… A few years now."

"I see." Chrono refilled his cup. "I suppose I should say I'm impressed you've managed to hide it from me for so long."

"Sorry, I wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn't think you'd take it well…"

"You got that right." Chrono frowned. "Damn it, ferret, it's rule one of The Man Code!"

"I know and I kept reminding myself of that, but… I couldn't help it, I just… fell in love, she felt the same and…"

Chrono sighed into his tea again. "I should probably kick your ass, but I'd rather not get Fate angry with me… And in hindsight I suppose Fate has been happier than usual these past few years… And I suppose since it's you I can trust you with her…"

"… Chrono…" Yuuno smiled slightly.

"… You're too much of a wuss to take advantage of her, after all." The admiral put a forkful of cake into his mouth.

"… I don't know if I should be happy or pissed off about that…" Yuuno muttered.

"This goes without saying," Chrono continued flatly. "But if you ever do anything to hurt her I'll load you into the Claudia's main cannon and fire you into the nearest black hole. After I light you on fire. Got it?"

"Loud and clear…" Yuuno laughed nervously.

"I'm glad we've come to an understanding." Chrono nodded, dabbing his mouth with a napkin.

"So… can you get off me now?"

Chrono looked down at the man who was pinned to the floor. "After cake."

"… You know rule one of the code has a second part to it, right?"

"… Don't push it."


	34. Spot on Santa's List

**Originally posted: 2010-12-25**

**Content: Christmas with Subaru and Nove**

* * *

"I don't see why we need to do this…" Nove grumbled as she wrestled with a string of tangled lights.

"Because we're the only two home." Subaru replied happily as she adjusted the position of the tree. "Everyone's been so busy that if we don't get it done now we'll never be ready for Christmas!"

"… I don't see what the big deal with this Christmas thing is." Nove huffed. Such data hadn't been programmed into her knowledge circuits by the doctor so it probably wasn't very relevant.

"But Nove, it's Christmas!" Subaru faced her sister. Nove briefly pondered if the emission of sparkles was a special feature of the Type Zeros. "This'll be your first Christmas so I guess you wouldn't know yet, but it's the greatest time of the year! There's snow and carolling and candy and cookies and lights and wreathes and turkey and…"

"Okay, okay, I get it! Shut up already!" Nove plugged her ears to hide from her new sister's ramblings. "But you can have most of that stuff all year round anyways!"

"But there's also gathering as a family, having fun together, and being nice to other people!"

"… Again, don't you do that all the time? Why is Christmas so special that we need to do all this decorating?"

"Uh… well…" Subaru's mouth hung open as she couldn't find the words. "… We also get presents!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah! Everyone buys gifts for each other and exchanges them on Christmas day!"

"Well…" Nove pondered. "I guess that's not a regular thing…"

"That's right!" Subaru nodded. "And Santa Claus comes and gives presents to all the good girls and boys!"

"Santa who?" Nove arched an eyebrow.

"Santa Claus!" Subaru fished through a box of decorations and pulled out a figure of a fat bearded man in a red suit. "He goes around the world in a single night in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. He visits everyone and goes down their chimney and puts a gift under their tree! He then gets to eat the cookies and milk that have been put out for him and…"

"Woah woah woah!" Nove held both hands in front of her. "A fat guy, going down chimneys, giving gifts to everyone in the world?"

"Uh huh!"

"With flying reindeer?"

"Nine of them!"

"And he does this in one night?"

"That's right!"

"… Are you making fun of me you bastard?" Nove growled and held up her fists. "I may be adjusting to society but I'm not a damned idiot!"

"Woah, chill out Nove!" Subaru held her hands up defensively. "Everything I said is true!"

"Like hell someone like that could exist!" Nove glared.

"But Santa is real!" Subaru stated firmly. "He does exist! Every year there's always an extra present under the tree. Dad never remembers buying it but figures that he must have. One year I even looked in the closet where he hides everything and I didn't see the gift that I got from Santa that year. There's only one possible explanation!"

"… You're sure about this?" Nove questioned cautiously.

"Of course!" Subaru nodded vigorously. "I wouldn't lie to you!"

"…" Nove gave her sister one long, hard look. "… So this Santa guy gives presents to everybody?"

"Well, not everybody. He makes a list of those who are naughty and those who are nice, and the nice people get what they want."

"… How does he know who's been nice?"

"He just knows! That's the magic of Santa!"

"… What do the naughty kids get?"

"They get a lump of coal."

"… I see…" Nove slumped her shoulders. "Guess I know what I can expect…"

"Wait, what are you talking about, Nove?"

"Santa's going to give me a lump of coal, right?"

"He wouldn't…"

"You said it yourself, didn't you?" Nove snapped. "He gives bad kids lumps of coal, and I'm a bad kid…"

"No you're not…"

"Of course I am! How could you forget how I caused so much destruction? Hurt so many people? What I did to Ginga… What I almost did to Teana… I was horrible…"

"That wasn't your fault, Nove." Subaru crossed over to her sister and reached out to her. "We've been over this. You were just following the doctor's orders. You didn't know any better…"

"That doesn't excuse anything!" Nove slapped Subaru's hand away. "I wasn't just following the doctor's orders… I… I honestly wanted to kill you, you know! I was so angry and…"

"That's all in the past, Nove. It's different now."

"How is it different? I still get angry so easily, I lash out at people all the time, I can't seem to concentrate on Ginga's lectures, and anytime I try to help I just end up breaking things… Some one like me doesn't deserve to have fun on Christmas!"

"Nove…" This time the crying red head didn't resist when Subaru wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close. "It's okay, ssssshh… Everything's okay…"

"It's not okay…" Nove muttered.

"It is okay." Subaru stroked her sister's hair. "Sure, you're a little rough around the edges but I know how hard you're working to become a better person. Dad, Gin-nee, they all see it too and of course that means Santa does as well. He knows you're doing your absolute best and I know on Christmas morning there'll be a present there with your name on it as well."

"… What if there isn't?" Nove whispered.

"Then big sis will track down Santa and show him the error in his judgement!" Subaru grinned.

"… I still won't accept it…" Nove mumbled.

"I told you, Santa is …"

"No!" Nove pushed away. "I still won't accept that you're the older one!" She spun around and wiped her sleeve across her eyes. "Now let's get these decorations up! I don't want Santa to think we're a lazy or cheap family…"

Subaru couldn't help but laugh.

"Stop that, it's creepy! Now get to work!"

"Whatever you say, sis."


	35. Morning Mystery

**Originally posted: 2011-01-18**

**Content: ?**

* * *

Yuuno groaned as he put his hand to his throbbing head. He forced himself to sit up in bed, fighting off the dizziness he normally experienced the morning after a party. He'd long since lost track of the number of times he vowed to spend the night sober, but despite his best efforts, he found it difficult to turn down an offered drink. He'd get swept along in the pace of the other party goers and it wasn't long before he was totally plastered.

He was relieved to see that he was in his own room at least. Once he had woken up on the back of a bus that was already five towns over and he was forced to walk back. The exercise had gotten the grogginess out of his system.

Something else got the groggy out this time. It was the realization of fabric against bare flesh. He took a peek under the covers and confirmed that he was indeed totally naked. The act of lifting the covers had the secondary effect of releasing a burst of scent. The scent in question was a familiar one of sweat and various other bodily fluids.

Yuuno went rigid as he determined the scenario. It had only happened a few times before, but he recognised the signs that he hadn't returned alone that night. He slowly turned his head to see who was there with him.

The bed was empty.

Yuuno let out a little sigh. Whoever it had been was already gone. He tried to think of potential candidates from the night before, but it was a long list. He noted that his ass wasn't sore, so at the very least he hadn't been the uke again.

It was possible that his partner was simply elsewhere in his apartment, so he hastily grabbed his boxers from the floor and yanked them on. That he might find his apartment trashed or robbed or both was another concern he wanted to confirm immediately.

Luckily his possessions were all in order, so another embarrassing claim wasn't in his future. His bathroom was empty, but the shower was still slightly damp from recent use. His kitchen was as he had left it with no sign of anyone trying to fix themselves breakfast. Or lunch, as the wall clock pointed out.

Yuuno sighed again. It seemed his company had already vacated the premises, leaving not even a note behind. He pondered if he should attempt to discern the identity of his most recent mate, but that knowledge could make things awkward between them. Maybe it was best to leave it alone?

His thoughts were interrupted by arms draping themselves over his chest and soft flesh pressing against his bare back. The arms were slender and the flesh was ample. It was definitely a woman.

"Good afternoon." She breathed into his ear. "You were incredible."

Yuuno froze, a sheen of sweat forming on his body. He knew that voice.

"Wha… bu… you… me… huh… wai… we…" Yuuno sputtered out attempted protests as he felt himself being pulled back towards the bedroom. "Can't…"

"I beg to differ." Lindy purred as she pulled him down onto the bed.

* * *

Something Nanya wanted me to do.


	36. Mr Popularity

****

**Originally posted: 2011-02-14**

**Content: Chrono and Yuuno**

**

* * *

**

"Hey there, Yuuno."

"Hi, Chrono." Yuuno paused and turned to his friend. "What's up? You seem awfully cheerful today."

"Of course." Chrono said as he joined the librarian and they resumed walking. "You know what today is, right?"

"It's the 14th, isn't it?"

"Correct. And you know what day that makes it."

"… Monday?"

"Yuuno, Yuuno, Yuuno…" Chrono shook his head. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised this day holds no value for you. It's Valentine's day, man. Valentine's!"

"Oh right." Yuuno shrugged.

"I tell you, it's hard being popular." Chrono held up four decorative boxes. "I have no choice but to carry these around. My wife, daughter, mother, and sister all went to great lengths to make these for me, after all."

"Hmmm." Yuuno didn't show much interest. "Good for you."

"No need to be jealous, now." Chrono's face remained neutral but a smirk was clear in his voice. "If you want some that badly, I might be willing to share."

"No, that's quite all right." Yuuno smiled slightly.

"You don't need to be so reserved." Chrono pressed. "They're super delicious you know. Fate's are even made with some kind of nut…"

"Almonds."

"Yeah, that's the kind she used, so, wait how did you know that?"

"She dropped by with my share earlier." Yuuno stated simply.

"… Oh. As expected of my sister. She always gives to the less fortunate."

"… Uh huh." Yuuno rolled his eyes as they reached his office. The two men entered and one gawked at the sight of the mountain of decorative boxes stacked on the desk.

"… Where the heck did you get all of those?" Chrono said, shakily pointing a finger.

"Oh, you know." Yuuno used a hand to hide his mouth. "Nanoha, Fate, Hayate, her knights, Vivio and her friends, Arf, Admiral Lindy, Admiral Leti, fellow archaeologists, the staff here at the library, a few bureau agents, some…"

"Okay, I get the picture." Chrono grumbled and slumped his shoulders.

"I don't think I can eat this much. Do you want some?"

"… No thanks… Well, you sure have your work cut out for you next month."

"Yeah… I wonder what I should get Liera for White Day…"

"… That better have been obligation chocolate!"

* * *

Happy Single Awareness Day =/

I figure I've already given Yuuno Chrono's mother and sister, so why not his daughter as well ;P


	37. Worst Case Senario

**Originally posted: 2011-02-14**

**Content: Chrono's worst nightmare**

* * *

"Okay everyone, I have an announcement to make." Lindy said to her gathered family.

"What is it, mom?" Chrono asked. "I have to get to work soon…"

"I'm getting remarried!"

"What?" Chrono gasped.

"To Yuuno."

"WHAT?" Chrono shot up this time and glared at the librarian who for some reason he hadn't noticed sitting there earlier.

"How could you, mom?" Fate started to tear up before jumping over to Yuuno and looping her arms around his neck. "You know I love Yuuno too!"

"Now now, Fate." Lindy chuckled. "You can marry him as well."

"Yay!" Fate snuggled into his neck. "I'm so happy!"

"Now wait just a min…"

"In that case," Amy piped up and moved to Yuuno's side. "I want in on this too."

"Huh?" Chrono's mouth hung open even more. "Amy, what…"

"I'll be honest with you, Chrono." She smiled apologetically. "I've been having an affair with Yuuno for years now. He's just so much bigger and more skilled than you are, sorry. I already have the divorce papers ready, so…"

"I can't believe this…" Chrono dropped back onto the couch.

"Yuuno is going to be your new papa from now on." Amy told the twins.

"No fair!" Liera cried, running over and clinging to Yuuno's leg. "I wanna be his lover too!"

"Well okay then!" Lindy beamed. "The more the merrier!"

"Yuuno, you son of a…" Chrono glared at the other man.

"Don't be like that Chrono." Yuuno grinned. "We're family now so let's get along, okay son slash brother-in-law slash father-in-law?"

"NOOO!"

Chrono bolted upright, flinging aside his sweat soaked sheets in the process.

X-X-X

"Hey Chrono, how are… Why are you holding Durandal?"

"It's the only way to be sure!"

* * *

Lately I seem to keep giving Chrono ample reasons to kill Yuuno...


	38. Appropriate Attire

**Originally posted: 2011-06-19**

**Content: Lutecia/Erio**

* * *

"And that's another one in the bag!" Lutecia said with a stretch.

"Good work out there, Lu." Erio said as he handed her a towel.

"Part of it's because I have a great supporter in my corner." Lutecia shot him a wink as she dabbed her cheek with the towel. It caused him to blush a bit. "I'm glad you and Caro could make it."

"Same here." Erio smiled. "I'm also glad that you seem to be enjoying your return to Mid."

"Fu fu fu." Lutecia chuckled. "Of course I'm having a blast! I came fully prepared to take the planet by storm! I even changed the design of my barrier jacket for my debut. What did you think of it?"

"Well…" Erio glanced around the empty locker room. "I think it's nice. Definitely better than your old one…"

"… But?" Lutecia raised an eyebrow.

"Uh… well… how can I say it…?"

"Is there another kind of barrier jacket you'd prefer?" She asked. "Something like Fate-san's sonic form?"

"No!" He waved his hands in front of him frantically. "… Something like Caro's, maybe…"

"Well, hers is definitely cute…" Lutecia pictured herself in it. "But pink isn't my colour and it's not sexy at all…"

When he looked away and flushed she blinked in realization before growing a cat like grin.

"I see…" She purred. "My old barrier jacket did show a bit of skin, didn't it? My new one covers more, but still shows some and has a short skirt to boot. Caro's is very modest, so Erio would prefer that?"

He kept his face turned away as she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned up to his ear.

"Does Erio not like how so many people are watching me in my sexy barrier jacket?"

"How am I supposed to be happy about that…" He muttered.

Lutecia chuckled sweetly. "I wonder how many guys in the crowd were drooling over me, fantasizing about what they'd do to me if they were alone with me…"

Erio growled slightly.

"But you know what? They only get to see so much. There are parts of me that only Erio is allowed to see." Lutecia tugged at the collar of her shirt and pulled down slowly. Erio turned his head slightly and reddened more as her cleavage was exposed. He also caught a glimpse of purple lace.

"You also get to do more than just watch…" Lutecia whispered as she took one of his hands by the wrist and slowly brought it towards her chest.

Erio gulped as a war waged within. Modesty told him to pull away but hormones told him to dive in. As a result of the stalemate he did nothing as she drew his hand closer to her decent, but still developing, bosom.

"Lu-chan, what's taking you so long?" A voice called through the door. "You have to get ready for your next match!"

"Be there in a minute, Caro!" Lutecia answered before sighing and letting Erio go. "Too bad, so close."

Erio opened his mouth but Lutecia cut him off with a quick peck on the lips.

"Gonna have to pick up where we left off later." She said with a seductive smile. "I'll want a reward for winning the tournament, after all."

She made her exit, leaving the speechless boy behind to ponder what could potentially come.

* * *

Be sure to check the new poll on my profile.


	39. Desperate Measures

**Originally posted: 2011-07-12**

**Content: The Takamachi Determination**

* * *

"Hayate-chan, you wanted to see me?" Nanoha said as she poked her head into the commander's office.

"Yes. Please sit down."

Nanoha took the offered chair and noted her friend's expression. This wasn't a social visit.

"I need to speak to you." Hayate said. "It's about Vivio."

"Oh." Nanoha was aware of her daughter's feelings for her friend and she had been supportive of it as she felt a mother should. However Hayate had made it clear that she wasn't interested.

"I don't suppose you've changed your mind and want to ask for permission?"

Hayate shook her head. "I'm afraid that's not it. The thing is, despite being turned down Vivio says she won't give up and keeps trying to win me over."

'That's my girl.' Nanoha thought. "Well, she's a determined one."

"Definitely got that from you." Hayate said with a sigh. "Unfortunately she got her lack of moderation from you too."

"Hey, I'm not… as bad as I used to be…" Nanoha paused before shaking her head. "That's not important. What do you mean by Vivio lacking moderation?"

"It started simply enough." Hayate said. "She'd occasionally call or text me, asking how I was, what I was doing, if I wanted to hang out with her. I didn't really mind so long as she remembered that I didn't see her as a romantic partner. But the more I reminded her, the greater her determination became. Now she messages me frequently, going on about how much she loves me, how great I am, how happy she could make me, and so on. She seems to pop up wherever I go, sometimes wearing something revealing and clinging to my arm. I politely try to brush her off but it's no good…"

"S-she just cares about you a lot…" Nanoha said meekly.

"There is such a thing as 'too much,' though." Hayate massaged the bridge of her nose. "Then there are the gifts. Expensive gifts. Diamond earrings, pearl necklaces… Just how much does Yuuno-kun pay her?"

Nanoha admitted to herself that her daughter's allowance was probably too generous as well.

"As much as I love her, I can only take so much." Hayate said. "I don't want to resort to desperate measures but I'm worried she might try to blast me with a beam next."

"I'm sorry, Hayate-chan." Nanoha bowed. "I didn't know she was being so forward."

"I don't blame you, Nanoha-chan."

"Well, I'll be sure to talk to Vivio about her…" Nanoha searched for the word.

"Stalking, Nanoha-chan. It's called stalking."

* * *

Because sometimes being too persistant can backfire on you... ^^"


	40. Hero's Reward

**Originally posted: 2011-07-14**

**Content: Yuuno, Nanoha**

* * *

The sun was shining bright in the vivid blue sky as a gentle breeze countered the effects of the star's rays.

It was a beautiful day for a walk.

This is what Yuuno thought as he traversed the streets of Cranagan. While he could have easily teleported to his destination it felt like such a shame to not take advantage of the benevolent weather.

His feet were light and his head was held high. It felt wonderful to be alive, and why not? He had his health, a stable, rewarding career, and wonderful friends to share his time with. While there was room for improvement in a few areas, all things considered he was blessed.

"Change? You got change? Help a guy out, will ya? Common, change!"

Yuuno looked to see a dishevelled man holding a paper cup out to those walking by. They just ignored him, but as Yuuno approached he decided to be generous and reached into his pocket.

"Here you go." Yuuno said as he dropped some coins into the cup.

"Wow, thanks a lot, man!" The beggar said. "Want to hear about the movie I just saw?"

"Thanks, but I'll pass…" Yuuno said as he turned to go.

That's when he heard the scream.

"Did you hear that?" Yuuno asked.

"I didn't hear anything."

"I definitely heard a woman's scream!" Yuuno rushed off into the gap between buildings where the sound was coming from. He ran deep into the web of allies and came across the scene.

There were two figures: one slouched against the wall and one crouched in front of the first with their back to Yuuno.

"Hey, is everything all right?" Yuuno asked as he approached, placing a hand on the second figure's shoulder.

Two things happened in that instant. First Yuuno saw the look of terror on the woman's face and second the other person spun around, plunging cool sharp steel into Yuuno's neck.

X-X-X

Nanoha looked at the still form of her friend. She had rushed to the hospital as soon as she got the call but she wasn't prepared for what she would find. When Yuuno had asked if he could list her as his next of kin she had been touched but wished she'd never have to exercise those rights.

According to the homeless person that had called for help, Yuuno had run off when he heard a scream, wanting to check it out. That was so like him, Nanoha mused, always looking out for others without any regard to his own well being. Normally it would have made her smile, but under these circumstances…

By the time the medics arrived, Yuuno had already lost a lot of blood but thankfully he was still breathing. The woman hadn't been so lucky and was shipped off to the morgue.

The doctors did their best to stabilize Yuuno, but their prognosis wasn't optimistic. His vitals were at acceptable levels due to the life support, but just barely. He had yet to awaken.

The search for the assailant was on but not progressing smoothly. There was a lack of evidence and of course no one saw anything. A dangerous person was on the loose, a woman was dead, and a good man might soon follow, his sacrifice a waste…

Nanoha shook those thoughts from her mind. The doctors had given up hope so it was up to her to believe that he would pull through this. She had to have faith.

Taking his hand gently into hers she began to speak.

"Hang in there, Yuuno-kun. I know you're in bad shape but you can't let it beat you! I know you're a strong person and I'm sure you'll come back to us. Fate-chan, Chrono-kun, and all your other friends are behind you and are on their way as we speak. You have to wake up soon so you can properly greet them."

She felt his hand twitch before it gripped hers.

"Yuuno-kun!" Nanoha beamed as she saw his eyes flick open but immediately dimmed at his drained expression.

He opened his mouth to speak, but only pained gurgling noises were emitted.

"Don't try to talk." Nanoha said. "You took a knife to your throat…"

'N-Nanoha…' He spoke telepathically instead but even the voice of his mind was fading. 'How is she… that woman? Is she okay?'

Even now he put others above himself.

Nanoha swallowed hard and a single tear managed to escape.

"She's just fine." Nanoha forced a weak smile. "You saved her. You're a hero, Yuuno-kun."

'Really? I'm… glad…' His eyes fell shut and his hand went limp. The room filled with a continuous buzz.

"Yuuno-kun? Yuuno-kun?" Nanoha kept calling, hardly registering the flood of medical staff and the nurse who gently pushed her out of the room. Nanoha stood there staring blankly as the doctors scurried about to fulfil their oath. She had never been much on religion but she felt it was an opportune time to pray for her friend's survival.

X-X-X

The sun was shining bright in the vivid blue sky as a gentle breeze countered the effects of the star's rays.

It was a beautiful day for a funeral.

* * *

Got the idea for this one after an episode of Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour that aired months ago. Only got around to writing it recently.

Careful when you stick your neck out for other people. From experience I can say that you often get screwed over because of it.

Any similarities to other movie reviewing bums is purely intentional.


	41. Papa Wolf

**Originally posted: 2011-07-19**

**Content: Yuuno and Shiro**

* * *

"So then he says 'That's no moon… that's my wife!'"

The Takamachi living room was filled with good cheer as Shiro, Momoko, Nanoha, and Yuuno drank tea, ate snacks and chatted pleasantly. It was rare for Nanoha to visit home anymore and even rarer that Yuuno came too. Even though he was a ferret at the time he had spent some of his childhood there so the door was always open to him.

"Oh my, it seems we've run out of snacks." Momoko said as she rose. "I'll get some more."

"I'll help too!" Nanoha sprung out of her seat. While following her mother out of the room she gave Yuuno a wink.

Yuuno gulped and turned to Shiro. "Um… Mr. Takamachi…"

"Yuuno, I keep telling you to call me Shiro." He smiled. "You're practically family so there's no need to be so formal."

"Okay then, Shiro." Yuuno tugged at his collar. "I need to ask something of you."

"If it's something I can do, ask away."

Yuuno took a deep breath before placing his hands on his knees, elbows out at 90 degree angles. He then bent forward until his chest met his thighs. Assuming the position he had been told to he said "Please let me go out with your daughter!"

If Yuuno had been looking he'd have seen all the humour drain from Shiro's face and be replaced by a cold stare.

"I see." Shiro said before rising. "Come with me."

Yuuno hesitantly followed Shiro outside to the Takamachi's dojo. When he entered he clumsily caught the wooden sword that was thrown at him.

"I'm sure you understand the severity of your words." Shiro said flatly as he assumed a ready stance with his own sword. "I must make sure you didn't utter them lightly."

"I understand." Yuuno mimicked the other man's stance the best he could.

"Since my daughter is on the line here I can't afford to hold back."

"I-I understand."

"And while I may have retired and gotten a bit rusty that doesn't mean I can't seriously hurt you. You know about my past."

"I know." Yuuno tried his best to keep his hands steady.

"And you still want to go through with this? Now's your last chance to back out."

Yuuno didn't move.

"Okay then. I warned you." Shiro disappeared in a flash, reappearing just as quickly in front of Yuuno with his sword raised high.

To Yuuno it felt like the strike was coming at a snail's pace however when he tried to move to block his arms felt like they had elephants attached to them. All he managed to do was close his eyes and brace for the pain.

But the pain never came. Yuuno risked opening an eye and saw Shiro's sword held a hair's width away from his face.

"Well done, Yuuno." Shiro relaxed his stance and smiled. "You passed."

"I did?" Yuuno blinked.

"You have my blessing." Shiro gave him a powerful slap to the back. "Honey, let's bake a cake to celebrate!"

"A wonderful idea." Momoko entered. "I'm glad I don't need t clean urine off the floor again."

The married couple left and Nanoha ran to Yuuno and hugged him.

"You did it, Yuuno-kun!"

"Yeah… I guess…" Yuuno sighed and fell to his knees. "Your dad can be really scary."

"I know." Nanoha giggled. "Why do you think my sister has always been single until now?"

* * *

At first this was going to be straight forward Yuunoha, but I decided to tweak the last line to add a twist.


	42. Three

**Originally posted: 2011-07-21**

**Content: Nanoha/Yuuno/Fate**

* * *

"Yuuno-kun, let's have a three way with Fate-chan!"

Yuuno spat out his tea as Nanoha burst into the office pulling Fate behind her.

"W-What?" He said.

"Like I said, let's have a three way with Fate-chan!"

"…What?" He said again for lack of a better response.

"You, me, Fate-chan. Sex." Nanoha pointed to each of them. "Yuuno-kun, you're so dense."

"And you're crazy!" Yuuno shot up. "Suddenly springing this on me… Is this a joke? Did Chrono put you up to this?"

"I'm being serious!" Nanoha said. "Fate-chan and I discussed it and this is what we decided."

Yuuno glanced over at Fate who had been pure crimson since she entered. She nodded meekly.

"But I can't do that!" Yuuno said, forcing himself to think with this top head. "Fate's never been involved with anyone, has she? I don't want her to waste her first time. It should be with some one special."

"That's not what you said when we first did it." Nanoha smirked.

"I was a hormone driven teenager back then," he said. "I'm an adult now."

"Well don't worry!" Nanoha waved him off. "Fate-chan has tons of experience!"

"Nanoha!"

"Really?" Yuuno looked sceptical.

"Oh yeah!" Nanoha said. "She's never had a steady boyfriend but she's the type to have sex on the first date."

"Huh?" Both Fate and Yuuno said.

"You know how kind hearted and trusting she is," Nanoha said. "So it doesn't take much to sweet talk her into bed, especially after she's had a few drinks."

"I see…" Yuuno sounded a bit sad to hear it.

Fate didn't know what was worse: that Nanoha suggested such a thing or that Yuuno found it plausible.

"The thing is, though, is that those guys just have their fun and are gone before she wakes up," Nanoha said.

Yuuno had the sudden urge to hunt down every last one of them. "Let me apologise on behalf of the rest of my gender."

"But that's why I want her to join us. I want her to experience it with some one who cares about her and will treat her right. I know you'll give her that experience."

"Well…" Yuuno flushed and glanced around the room.

"I know you want to." Nanoha giggled. "I've already told her you fantasize about her."

"Nanoha! That was a secret!"

"Relax!" Nanoha said with a laugh. "It's considered a compliment!"

Yuuno cleared his throat and turned to Fate. "Are you really okay with this?"

"Yes," Fate said. "You're a good friend and I trust you."

"Well, if she's fine with me…" Yuuno glanced away and scratched his cheek.

"Great! Then it's settled!" Nanoha said, going over and kissing his cheek. "We'll be waiting for you at your place tonight, so don't work too late!"

Yuuno watched them leave, half worried and half looking forward to the night that was to come.

X-X-X

"Why did you lie to him, Nanoha?"

"If he knew you're still a virgin he'd never agree." Nanoha said. "Sometimes he's too much of a gentleman."

"Still…"

"Don't worry about it. We'll be making it up to him. Besides, it wasn't entirely a lie…"

"Huh?"

"You are too kind hearted and trusting, Fate-chan. If you weren't always so preoccupied with work there's a good chance some sweet talker could take advantage of you. You could end up stuck with some one nasty… I read about how abuse victims often end up in more abusive relationships…"

"Nanoha…"

"So I do want your first time at least to be with some one I know will take good care of you. I know I'm being pushy so I don't want you to feel pressured into this. You can change your mind at any time."

"Thank you, Nanoha." Fate smiled. "I know you're looking out for me and if I do end up in a bad relationship you'll be there to save me from it like you did before."

"Fate-chan… Of course!"

"As for tonight…" Fate blushed. "I already decided. I get to experience something special with my two oldest friends who I love and trust very much." She thought of Yuuno's reaction and how it reinforced that. "We'll become even closer and I think that's wonderful."

"Awww, Fate-chan! I love you too!" Nanoha gave her a big hug. "Now come on, we have to get ourselves ready. Tonight will be one for the history books!"

* * *

Basically a continuation of Short #31.

Some one wrote me a lemon once and in it was a line about how Fate is the type to have sex on the first date. Been curious about the plausability of that statement so I explored it a bit here. Not too sure what to think about it.

There's a possibility of a follow up lemon, but it's not like I can post that.


	43. After

**Originally posted: 2012-10-27**

**Content: Continues from last time**

* * *

Nanoha sighed as she leaned against the wall of the elevator. The metal doors slid shut and the box began its slow descent.

It had been over a week since the amazing night she spent with two of her oldest friends but there had yet to be a repeat of the experience. Fate and Yuuno had started acting wierd around her and whenever Nanoha tried to broach the subject they'd become evasive.

Did what happened drive a wedge between them? Did the other two feel ashamed of what they did? But they were more than willing to go several more rounds when they had woken up that morning...

Regardless of the case, Nanoha would just need to get the answers, even if she had to do it the hard way.

As if fortune had smiled upon her, the elevator stopped and the doors opened to reveal one of the blondes she had been pondering about.

"Hey Fate-chan," Nanoha said.

"Oh, Nanoha... Hi." Fate briefly made eye contact before pressing the button for her desired floor. She kept her back to the other girl and said nothing more.

Despite that Nanoha decided to press forward.

"Fate-chan, we need to talk."

"Oh... Well... I have an important meeting soon and I need to concentrate on it. We can talk later..."

"No." Nanoha reached forward and hit the emergency stop button. The steel box screeched to a halt. "We talk now."

Fate recognised that look in her friend's eyes. Nanoha would get her answers even if she had to blast it out of her.

"Ever since that night you and Yuuno-kun have been avoiding me. Please tell me why."

"I'm sorry Nanoha... We didn't mean to... It's just..." Fate bit her lip. "We weren't sure how to tell you..."

"Tell me what? That you didn't enjoy yourselves and you don't want to do it again?"

"No! It was..." Fate blushed. "Quite the experience... But... Well... The thing is... Yuuno and I... want something more... Exclusive."

"EEEEEH!? You mean you two have been doing it without me!?"

"No!" Fate said while flailing her hands. "We haven't done it since then but we have been spending a lot of time together. Something... Clicked that night and so we're giving a serious relationship a try. The order might have been messed up, but..."

"So basically you two are dating now?"

Fate braced herself. "Yes..."

"That's great news!" Nanoha said with a big smile. "Congratulations!"

"... You're not upset?"

Nanoha tilted her head. "Why would I be upset? Well, I am a bit mad you hid it from me but if that's what you and Yuuno-kun decided of course I'll support you!"

Fate gave a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad... Thank you."

"... You'll still let me join you guys once in awhile, right?"

"Nanoha!" Fate puffed her cheeks. "Right now we're taking it easy. We want to make sure what's between us isn't only a result of the heat of the moment."

"Okay, I understand. I guess I'll be lonelier from now on then..."

"Sorry..."

"Don't apologise. Just take your time and maybe in the future you'll be up for it."

"... We'll see. Thank you again, Nanoha, for understanding."

"Of course. What are friends for?"

After they restarted the elevator and parted ways, Nanoha couldn't help but notice the extra spring in her friend's step. Things should prove to he a lot more interesting from now on. But for the time being...

Nanoha opened up a call screen and waited for it to connect.

"Hey, Vita-chan, are you free tonight?"

* * *

Hey guys, it's been over a year since I posted something. Sorry about that. As you can probably tell from this I'm still shaking off the rust. I also wrote this on my phone as a test run so if it's a bit minimalistic that's why.

I did end up writing a lemon for this, which you can find on Media Miner.


	44. Party Time

**Originally posted: 2012-10-29**

**Content: Nothing objectionable.**

* * *

Hayate looked at her empty living room with a sense of satisfaction. All of her worldly possessions had been boxed up and sent off world to her new place of residence on Mid Childa.

It was not lightly that she made her decision to leave her home world behind. But her future did not belong in this place.

Clad in her middle school uniform, she made her final walk to school. After the graduation ceremony today she would be off to begin the first step in what she hoped would be a successful career as a full time member of the Time Space Administration Bureau.

"Hayate-chan!"

Outside the school gates she was greeted by her four best friends. After today she wouldn't be able to see them very often but they promised to mail each other every day. Nanoha, Fate, Suzuka, and Alisa still had high school ahead of them so all five of them were sure to be very busy in the coming years.

The ceremony finished on schedule and they were all middle school students no more. The gang decided to meet up behind the school before heading out.

"Are you sure you have to leave right away, Hayate-chan?" Nanoha asked. "There's still the party at the Midori-ya after this."

"I'm sure mom could delay your pick up," Fate said.

"Well..." Hayate said.

"You owe us that much for running off by yourself and leaving the rest of us behind," Alisa said with a playful jab of her elbow.

Hayate laughed. "Sounds like I don't have much of a choice."

"Before that, though..." Suzuka began to rummage through her school bag. "I want to do a charm with you guys."

"A charm?" Fate asked.

"You believe that kind of thing?" Alisa laughed. "Well, I suppose when you consider the company we keep..."

Suzuka continued. "This is a friendship charm that will make sure we'll always be friends no matter how far apart we are. It may only be Hayate right now but I'm sure Nanoha and Fate won't be far behind, so..."

"Sure, lets do it," Nanoha said. "I think we'd be fine even without it but why not?"

From her bag, Suzuka withdrew a piece of paper cut into the shape of a person.

"It's called Sachiko of Happiness!"

* * *

This only works if you get the reference. If you don't, look up Corpse Party. Or better yet go buy it from PSN for $10 (until November 6th).


	45. Enigma

**Originally posted: 2012-10-31**

**Content: Nothing objectionable.**

* * *

Yuuno was used to the impossible. Objects that would have been impossible to create, abilities that were impossible under the laws of physics, a tiny little detail that was impossible to find in a sea of books.

Yuuno was also used to defying the notion. He could explain the object's origin, figure out how the ability worked, and he could hunt down and find any sentence no matter how short.

But this... _This_ was impossible.

There was no way such a thing could exist but there it was, concealed in the mountains until an earthquake revealed it.

His team had been on site for weeks now but they could not unravel this enigma. The surrounding rocks were dated at several millions of years ago but that did not shed much light on this most unsettling of objects.

Perhaps the strangest part was that he and he alone found it unsettling. While his teammates did ponder the nature of it, none of them were particularly bothered by it. It was just another find.

Yuuno didn't blame them as the oddity was something only he would notice. He spent many a night drunk on coffee, studying pictures of it. He dare not go see it directly for the photos alone threatened to suck him in.

How? How could this be? How could some ancient person create _that_? That shape, it was too perfect to ignore. It called out to him, tempted him. It was if it was his destiny to find it, to use it for whatever its intended purpose.

It took all his self control to restrain himself. Who knew what would happen if he gave in? What sort of tragedy would be unleashed?

But the question remained: why? Why why why why why? Why here? Why now? Why him? His research yielded no answers.

It wasn't long before those around him noticed his strange behaviour. Yuuno would open his door to no one, not even to the closest of his friends. But what did they know anyways? They couldn't possibly understand what exactly that thing was and what it meant. Yes, it was something he had always looked for, what anyone looks for.

Sure he has plenty of friends and loved ones, a successful career and plenty of cash to spare, but so what? Perhaps it made him forget the pain of being extraneous baggage to his tribe upon his birth, but this... He understood what it was. It was something he belonged to, something that belonged to him and only him.

There was nothing to fear from it. It was something to celebrate! Yes. Yes yes yes yes yes. He had finally found his destiny.

He made his was to the site but curiously he found people standing in the way. Who were they again? It hardly mattered anymore. Whatever they were saying wasn't important.

Now they were restraining him. What did they think they were doing? The fools didn't understand anything.

Yuuno flailed wildly as the others bound him and held him down. His gaze never left the human shaped hole dug out of the mountain.

"That's my hole! It was made for me!"

* * *

If you don't get this reference go read The Enigma Of Amigara Fault by Junji Ito.


End file.
